Make Me Believe
by Annaelle
Summary: 'God, I love you,' I whispered in her ear before I fully realized what I had just said. She stiffened in my arms for a moment, before whispering, 'I love you too.'     And maybe what they had was wrong. . . But how could something so wrong feel so right?
1. Demo

**Hi everyone**

**I've been out of it for a while, and this is why. Well, this story and schoolwork, which is literally trying to kill me. **

**Anyway, this story has been bugging me, and I just had to write it. And once I'd started, it just kept coming. **

**Well, I hope you like the first chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Title: Make Me Believe<strong>

**Summary: 'God, I love you,' I whispered in her ear before I fully realized what I had just said. She stiffened in my arms for a moment, before whispering, 'I love you too.' **

**And maybe what they had was wrong. . . But how could something so wrong feel so right?**

**Jandré/Tandré/Bori/Bade/Cabbie/André & OC**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Victorious. Sadly**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter one – Demo<strong>

Tori laughed softly as André nearly gagged on his buffalo nuggets when their names were called through the Café.

'Tori Vega and André Harris ?' The mechanic voice repeated when no response was given to its first call. Tori jumped up in one fluent move – her curls jumping up and down with her – and raised her hand. 'We're over here.'

André grabbed her hand and pulled her back down into her seat. 'Tori, what the hell are you doing?' She smiled mischievously and patted his arm. 'Well, you haven't done any performing since you and Sherry broke up, so I signed us up for open mic tonight. Come on, it'll be fun.' André groaned, but before he could protest, Tori shook her head. 'André, performing makes you happy.'

He bit his lip. 'Tori, come on. We were going to take it easy tonight. You know, You . . . You gotta save your voice too.' Tori rolled her eyes. 'André, stop denying you want to sing.' She pouted at him, rubbing his hand. 'Please? One song, André. Just one. That's all I'm asking.' She knew he was going to cave any second and continued her pout just a little bit longer. He sighed, and Tori couldn't suppress a grin. The sigh announced her victory.

'What song?' He finally asked.

Tori jumped up and down, clapping her hands excitedly. André thought she looked suspiciously much like Cat for a moment. 'You're The Reason. You play the piano and I sing.' She jumped up and ran for the stage. André felt a smile break through his grim façade – her enthusiasm was contagious. He did love singing with her, and it always brightened his day.

Tori thought he was upset because he'd broken up with Sherry, but he didn't have the heart to tell her it was still because of his crush on Jade. It just wouldn't go away – the song had helped, but it wasn't gone. He figured that the only way he'd ever get over Jade was to find another girl to fall in love with.

Tori smiled at him from the stage, and he felt his mood lighten slightly. Tori's smile worked him the same way her enthusiasm did. It never worked him the way Jade's rare smiles did, and though he knew it was wrong, he really couldn't help himself. Tori did make him feel happy though – in a really good friendship kind of way.

He shook his head, snapping out of his doom thinking, and got up, following her to the tiny stage. He eyed the old piano warily and sighed. 'I don't know if I can get a decent tune out of that old thing,' he complained.

Tori rolled her eyes. Again.

'Are you doubting your mad piano skills?' She questioned. He sat down on the bench and smiled. For real this time. 'No. Of course not. I am doubting if the ancient thing can keep up with my mad skills.'

Tori laughed and reached out to pat his arm. 'You'll manage.'

She turned around and took the mic from the man standing next to her, sent a smile at André and turned to the crowd. 'Hi everyone!' She called, drawing all attention to her, 'I am Tori Vega and this here,' she gestured to André, 'is André Harris, and we are going to sing an original song he –' André coughed loudly, and Tori rolled her eyes, '–_we_ wrote ourselves. It's called 'You're The Reason'.'

Knowing this was most likely his cue, André proceeded her words with the first few notes. He took a deep breath and felt all tension in his body melt away. Now, it was just him, the ancient piano and Tori. Her encouraging smile made him feel somehow more confident, and he played through the bridge without even thinking. And then Tori started singing.

She leaned on the piano, smiling at André, singing slow and yet confident. They hadn't performed the song like this before, but somehow, they both knew it was perfect. She moved away from the piano, twirling and strutting about the tiny stage, pouring her heart into the song.

And that was why André loved singing with her – she made his songs sounds ten times better. He went into the next verse with gusto, silently counting the seconds before softly singing along with Tori. She smiled at him, and his mood lifted further as they played through the chorus.

The crowd ooh'ed and aah'ed at Tori's impeccable voice, and André had to admit that even on this old piano, he sounded pretty damn good. Tori walked up behind him, dragging her finger over his shoulders, leaving goosebumps under his shirt. She left a trail of strawberry scent behind, and André grinned slightly, playing slightly faster now.

He felt himself drift away, as he usually did when he was singing and making music, being only aware from the keys under his skilled fingers, and Tori's voice drifting to him from his right.

He morphed the song through a bridge, slowly playing the last notes to the song as Tori ended the song with a long, low note.

The crowd burst into enthusiastic applause, and Tori engulfed André in a bear hug. 'So,' she began, 'feeling better?' He smiled and nodded. 'Yeah. Thanks for making me do this.' She grinned. 'You're welcome.'

They broke apart, both slightly dazed by the amount of applause they got, and returned to their table, where they were promptly offered free drinks on the house. Tori raised her glass at André and grinned. 'We should do this more often.' He laughed and raised his own glass. 'To music then.' She smirked and joined his toast. 'To music.'

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks.

Suddenly Tori noticed a tall, handsome man approach them. She thought he looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't place his face. She was sure she'd seen him before.

'Hey . . . André?'

'Yeah, Tor?'

'Why does that dude look so familiar?' André glanced over his shoulder and felt his mouth fall open. He turned back to Tori, excitement in his eyes. 'Tori, don't you remember? He's that guy from the New York record label. We saw him on TV last week!' Tori's mouth proceeded to pop open as well and she bit her lip. 'Do you think he liked our song?'

André glanced over his shoulder again. 'We'll find out in a minute – he's coming here.'

'Hi there,' the man started, and Tori had a really hard time containing her enthusiasm. 'I heard your song just a moment ago, and . . . Well, it was really good. Did you really write it yourself?' André smiled. 'Yeah, we did. But we sold it.'

He nodded and shook his head. 'That is a shame. But that is not why I came here. My name is Preston Buick, I work with Deeds Records.' Tori gasped softly, and André couldn't help but grin. 'I see a bright future for the both of you. I would like to offer you the opportunity to record a professional demo with us.' 'WHAT?' Tori shrieked, unable to contain herself any longer, and André gagged on his drink.

Buick grinned. 'Yes, I know it is sudden. Please take the time to think about it. I'll just give you my card,' he dug up a card from his pocket and handed it to an astonished André, 'call me for more details.'

With those words, he walked away, leaving Tori and André stunned in their seats.

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – Two days later<strong>

I leaned back into the cushions of Tori's red couch and grinned at her as she paced through the room. 'But mom,' she began again, 'this is a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity for me! I can't just say no!' Tori's parents were in Santa Barbara again, and Tori was desperately attempting to make them agree to our New York thing.

We'd called Buick the next day, asking exactly what he had meant with 'Bright future for the both of you' and 'record a professional demo'. I could hardly believe this was happening. Sure, I'd dreamed all my life of recording a demo with a huge record company, but that didn't mean I was believing it all that easily.

Anyway, Buick had offered us a week in a five-star-hotel in New York, penthouse suite or something, and we got to record a two-song demo in their studio, with professional . . . Everything.

My mom had already said she was okay with it, which left just Tori's parents. Who were, of course, giving her a hard time. Tori had been on the phone, trying to convince her mother for the past hour.

'Mom, please. André'll be with me, I won't do anything stupid, and Trina can take care of herself for one week. Please?'

I smirked. I can't deny I was worried; without Tori, I wasn't allowed to go either. But I knew that, if anyone could get Tori's parents convinced, it would be Tori. She really was a very good beggar.

Tori's eyes met mine, and I tried to lose myself in her eyes. But it didn't work. I don't know why it wouldn't. Tori was pretty, sweet, crazy talented and everything I wanted in a girl. She just wasn't the girl I wanted. And I hated it.

Why couldn't I have fallen for Tori? It would've been so much easier to fall hopelessly in love with my best friend. But no, I had to go the hard way and fall in love with Beck's girl.

Dang it.

I shook off my thoughts and returned my attention to Tori. A smile was slowly forming on her lips, and I felt like a huge burden fell from my chest. She'd won. We could go to New York.

A strange and yet familiar feeling of exhilaration took hold of me, and I jumped up, ready to engulf Tori in a great hug as soon as she hung up the phone. 'Thanks mom,' she exclaimed, pushing me back an arm's length, her hand pushing heavily on my chest. 'Yeah, I promise we won't do anything stupid . . . Yeah . . . No, I'll tell him to behave. . . Yeah, thanks mom!' And finally, she hung up the phone.

'Tori!' I yelled, trying to get close enough to hug her. 'André!' She yelled back. 'We're going to New York !' As Tori squealed in excitement, she threw her arms around me and began jumping up and down. I hugged her back and laughed out loud – dreams, apparently, did come true. We were going to New York to record two songs for a professional demo with a major record company!

'Wait, wait, wait!' I yelled, 'We've got to call that Buick guy and tell him we can go!' Tori leaned back and grinned, 'Oh, yeah. Right. Call him!' I pulled my phone out, moved back a few paces, out of Tori's all too exited reach, and dialed the number.

'Preston Buick.'

'Hi, Buick, André Harris here.'

'Ah, yes, André. Have you word of you parents?'

I smiled and Tori tugged at my sleeve, her ear pressed to the hand that was holding on to my phone. 'Yeah. They're cool with it, so we can both go.'

I could almost hear his smile through the phone. 'That is awesome news, André. I can arrange your flight to be scheduled for next Monday then. Your tickets will be ready at the counter. Be there at ten AM.'

I frowned. 'Why do I have the feeling you have already arranged all this?'

'Because I did. You were never going to pass up an opportunity like this. I'll see you in New York. I'll have a man pick you up at the airport there. You can leave from LAX.'

And before I could say more, he hung up.

'So?' Tori tugged at my sleeve. 'Are we going?' I smiled.

'We're going.'

* * *

><p><strong>TORI'S POV<strong>

I opened my closet, rummaging through the pile of shirts, wondering what I should bring. I mean, New York weather was supposed to be a lot colder than LA, right?

'Aren't you so excited?' I grinned over my shoulder to André, who had presently taken up residence on my bed. He laughed. 'Of course I am. But you're like hyper active. You almost remind me of Cat.' I frowned and turned to him. 'I do not. I'm just really psyched. I thought you would be too.'

He rolled his eyes. 'Tor, I am. You're just overreacting. It's not that big a deal.' I groaned and walked over to my bed, nudging at his leg. 'It is a big deal. I mean, have you even thought about what we're going to sing yet? We only get two songs, so we have to pick our best two, and we have to think ab–' And then, he kissed me. For no apparent reason.

I was stunned. I forgot how to move. How to breathe. _Why was he kissing me? What the hell was he doing?_

Before I contemplated the meaning of this, he'd leaned back, staring at me. And I stared at him. I didn't get it. 'André? What the hell?' He shook his head. 'Tori, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I don't even know why . . . I don't like you. . . Not like that . . . It's just –' And then I understood.

'André, can I ask you something?' He bit his lip and nodded. 'Is it Jade? Is that why you kissed me? You're trying to get over her.' He frowned and tried very hard to hide his surprise. I knew it.

'How?' He whispered. 'That's the only reason you'd actually kiss me. To see if we would feel the spark.' I knew I was spot on. And I felt so bad for him. He was seriously messed up about it. He felt horrible about liking Jade before – if now, he was willing to kiss me to get over her, he was in deep.

Slowly, I pulled him closer for a hug. 'Forget about it. The kiss,' I whispered, knowing that's what he needed to hear, 'Maybe the distance, being in New York, will do us all some good. You can get over Jade and I –' I stopped, but André seemed to know what I was going to say. 'And you can get over Beck.'

I leaned back. 'How?'

'I'm your best friend Tori. How did you know about Jade?' I nodded. 'Okay. Fair enough.' He smiled. 'I'm sorry for kissing you.' I grinned. 'I'm sorry I wasn't the girl you wanted to kiss.'

He let go of my arms and gestured at the closet. 'Maybe we should get back to packing.' I sighed and nodded. 'I really don't know what to bring. Like, just jeans and stuff, or really fancy stuff?' André grinned. 'Tori, just jeans'll be fine.'

I groaned, got up and pulled my jeans from my closet.

'Just jeans it is.'

* * *

><p><strong>TORI'S POV – One day later<strong>

Beck's eyes were open wide in surprise. 'That's so cool, Tori. Really, I'm happy for you.' My heart beating madly, I tried to act casual. 'Thanks, Beck.' He grinned. 'Come give me a squeeze, Vega.' I laughed, but didn't pass up the opportunity to wrap my arms around Beck.

As he pulled me close, the usual butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach, tingles running over my skin where his brushed past mine. 'Hey Tori,' he whispered, not even considering leaning back from the hug.

'Yeah Beck?'

'I'll miss you.' Though his confession made me dizzy because I forgot how to breathe, I tried to pretend it didn't affect me.

'Please. I'll be gone for a week. And, you'll have Jade to keep you company.' At the mention of his girlfriend, Beck stiffened slightly and then pulled away from the hug.

'Yeah. Jade. Right. Well, good luck in New York, Tori.'

Slightly thrown off by his sudden coolness, I frowned, but took a step back. 'Yeah. Thanks, Beck.'

As I watched him walk away, I felt my heart break into a million pieces._ I guess that's what André feels like when he has to look at Jade. _ Shrugging off the feeling, I turned around and headed for my locker. By the looks of it, this would be a long Friday.

The rest of the day passed in some sort of a haze, during which people kept congratulating me and André. Cat and Robbie were overly enthusiastic about it, Jade wished André good luck – completely made his day –, Trina was mad at us for not telling her about New York and Beck faked being happy all the time.

Sikowitz told us he was proud of us and that we should kick some New York butt while there.

And then, finally, it was three PM.

Once at home, I returned to packing, noting that I was feeling more and more off.

I sat down on my bed and buried my face in the shirt I was clutching. How could one cool comment from Beck just dampen my amazing mood? One stinking comment? I was dizzy.

And nauseated.

I shook my head. Enough doom thinking. _I'm just nervous. That's all. _

'Hey, Tori?' André's voice drifted from behind me. 'Hey! You finish packing already?' He smiled and sat down in the chair by my desk. 'Yeah. Didn't bring that much. So . . . Have you thought about which songs we can do?'

I bit my lip and sat down on the bed. 'Well, I think we should do 365 Days and You're The Reason. You know, they really show your talent as a music writer and a singer and . . . Well, 365 Days is a really personal song, as is You're The Reason.'

André frowned. 'Really? I kinda thought Make It Shine and Tell Me That You Love Me would be better – you know, they really show of your talent as a singer and my awesomeness at composing and making music.' I shook my head. 'But this is really important. There has to be so much feelings behind the songs. They're always better when they are sung for a reason.'

André grinned. 'Okay, chill down. We've got time to decide. Two more days of discussing this non-stop.' I smiled. 'Yeah. I guess. Thanks for staying over anyways. I hate being alone.'

He smiled. 'No prob, Tor. That's what friends are for, right?'

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – Monday<strong>

Tori had been bouncing up and down in excitement ever since we called the cab to take us to LAX – but then again, she had been extremely bouncy and happy ever since we got the green light to go from our parents.

She sighed and turned to me. 'We still haven't decided which songs to sing.' I bit my lip. True – we couldn't agree on it. 'Okay, let's try this. I pick a song and you pick one – then we'll see if we can match those two onto one demo.' She wrinkled her nose in annoyance but nodded. 'Okay. I want to sing . . .' she hesitated for a moment, and I took the opportunity to think over my own options. Tell Me That You Love Me had been my first choice, but Tori was right, maybe a slow love song wasn't going to be enough to impress the record label dudes.

'Okay,' she said, snapping me out of my thoughts, 'I think I'll go for Song 2 U.' I nodded and smiled. 'Then I'll pick Make It Shine. Those two are our strongest songs . And I know everyone will love it.' She beamed and glanced out of the window. 'We're almost there.'

I detected a slight hint of nervousness in her voice. 'Tori.' She turned to look at me. 'It'll be fine. We'll be fine, okay ?' She drew a shaky breath. 'I'm just feeling really weird. I bet it's just nerves though.' I reached for her arm and rubbed my hand over her arm soothingly. 'Are you sure you're okay?' She bit her lip. 'Yeah. It's just something Beck said.' I groaned. 'When is he going to stop using you?' Tori shook her head. 'André, he's not using me. We're just really good friends, and he loves Jade, and I can live with that.' I shook my head. 'No, you can't.'

Her eyes met mine. 'Neither can you.'

And at that moment, the driver informed us we were there and that we owed him fifty bucks. I rolled my eyes and handed him the money while Tori got out and got our bags from the trunk.

I got out, took my bag from Tori and took a deep breath. 'Ready?' I asked Tori, looking at the entrance door of the airport. Tori smirked. 'No. But we'll have to, or we'll miss our flight.'

I grinned and followed her inside, both of us startling when we found all of our friends standing right there, screaming, 'SURPRISE!' at the top of their voices. Only then did I see they were holding a large banner reading, 'Kick some New York ass, Superstars!'

I laughed and engulfed Cat in a tight hug. I glanced to my side, seeing Beck wrap his arms around Tori, whispering something in her ear. Jade, luckily for them, had all her attention turned to me. 'Kick ass in New York, Harris,' she whispered in my ear as she hugged me. My skin tingled when she touched me, and I tried to act normal as I hugged her back.

'Don't worry about that, Jade.' She let go and hurried to her boyfriend, who was talking to Robbie and Tori. Beck turned to me. 'André,' he began, his smile growing, and I could feel my own smile grow bigger as I took his outstretched hand, hugging him in a very manly way, 'Beck.' 'Kick ass over there,' he said, and then in a lower voice, so only I could hear, 'Look after Tori.'

I bit my lip and grinned as I leaned back. 'I will,' I replied, knowing he'd know what I meant.

Tori smiled and checked her watch. 'You guys, this was really sweet, but we've got to go, we've got a plane to catch.' I nodded and picked up my bag again, following Tori, looking back one more time at my friends before our trip to New York would begin.

Little did I know how much one trip could change my life.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I love this story, and I hope the first chapter made you guys excited to see what else'll happen here xD<strong>

**Let me know what you think! **

**Leave a review and make me the happiest girl in the world!**

**VERY SPECIAL SHOUTOUT:**

**A gigantic thank you to JustSmileBFF, who's been helping me out with the story ever since I got the idea.**

**Thank you so much, you're the best! **

**X Annaelle**


	2. New York City

**What up, peeps?**

**I decided to launch the second and slightly shorter chapter today :D  
>If you guys like it, I'll be updating the story every Friday :p<strong>

**Anyway, thank you so much for your sweet reviews! I'm glad you liked the first chapter :)  
><strong>

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter two – New York City<strong>

To Tori and André, New York proved its greatness within minutes of their arrival.  
>Upon their arrival at the airport, they were escorted to the exit, where a true limousine was waiting for them.<br>It drove them to one of the biggest and most expensive hotels in New York, and bellmen carried their luggage up to the top floor, where they had the most awesome suite either of them had ever seen.

The suite consisted of two bedrooms, a large bathroom and a living area. The place was richly decorated, and set with the most comfortable furniture the hotel provided.  
>At first, Tori and André had bickered about who got which bedroom, but then they'd decided to split – André would get the bedroom with view of the Empire State Building for the first two days, and then he would switch with Tori, who'd get the room with a view on Central Park for the first two days.<p>

The first two days of their stay in New York passed in a haze – they were almost constantly in the studio, recording far more than just two songs.  
>After the first song – Song 2 U – Buick's boss had been so incredibly impressed by their skill, he set them up for several more songs.<p>

Of course, that wasn't all Tori and André had done.

When they got the chance, they explored New York, checking out all of the regular hot spots, but also finding themselves in places only true New Yorkers knew. Tori was extremely psyched about everything she had done with André so far, and her mind could never have been further removed from Beck.

André, on the other hand, didn't find it that easy to stop thinking about Jade. Sure, New York kept him busy enough during the day, but his dreams were still haunted by the images of a certain Goth's secret smile.

Presently, on their fourth day, Tori and André were enjoying their dinner in their suite, not going out for once.  
>'Mmm, these lobster potatoes are almost as great as they were in Maestro's,' Tori exclaimed, her eyes closed in bliss as she marveled over her potatoes. André grinned slightly. 'Sure they are, Tor.'<br>He sipped from his water and returned to his plate, finding he wasn't as hungry as he had initially thought.

Absent-mindedly poking his fork into his food, he didn't notice Tori looking at him inquiringly. 'André,' she softly said, drawing his attention, 'You have to eat.'  
>'I'm not hungry.' His stomach growled in contrast with his words. And yet, he still didn't feel hungry.<br>Tori put down her fork and gazed at her best friend with increasing worry. 'Why do you let her mess with your head like that? André, you're seriously messed up about this.'

André dropped his fork as well and got up, walking over to the glass wall, looking out over the entire city. 'I thought New York would make me feel better. I thought being away from her would be better. But Tori, I just can't get her out of my head. Every song we've sung so far . . .'  
>His voice broke at that point, and Tori got up too, walking over to André. She could see the tears that were dripping down his cheeks.<p>

'André,' she whispered, truly feeling horrible for him, and wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to cry in her arms.  
>After a few minutes, André managed to get hold of himself and straightened up, wiping his tears away. 'I'm sorry, Tori,' he said, scolding himself for crying like a little girl.<p>

Tori groaned and patted his arm. 'André, you can talk to me; you know that, right?' She watched André bite his lip before he nodded. 'Yeah, I know, Tori. It just . . . It hurts. I don't know how you do it.'  
>She smiled sadly. 'I don't. Beck knows. He has known for ages. And I told him I was cool with him and Jade, but that I just didn't want to lie to him.' André stared at his friend. 'Why didn't you tell me that before?' Tori sighed and sat down on the couch. 'I don't know. It never came up.'<p>

André sighed and sat down next to her, letting her head rest against his arm. 'Quite the pair we make,' he said, Tori softly grunting in agreement.  
>They sat there in silence for a while, both of them appreciating the other's soothing and comforting presence – no words were needed.<p>

After a few moments, Tori let out a moan and jumped up, running for the bathroom. André – distraught by Tori's sudden change – got up and went after her, finding her throwing up in the toilet.  
>'Oh my God, Tori,' he started, kneeling next to her, 'Are you okay?' She coughed and grimaced, wiping her mouth. 'Did I sound okay?'<br>He rolled his eyes, 'No. Did you eat something bad?' She shook her head. 'No. I've been feeling off for a while. I thought it was just nerves.'

He sighed. 'You should've told me.' She moaned and threw up again, André holding her hair from her face and rubbing her back.

'It's probably just flu or something,' she groaned when she emerged from the sink again, after brushing her teeth. André got up and felt her forehead, frowning. 'You do feel like you have a fever. Come on, get in bed. I'll get you something for the nausea.'

Tori smiled weakly and crawled into bed, smiling gratefully when André returned with a large glass of water and a pill for the nausea.  
>After she took the pill and drained the glass, she pulled up the sheets high and rested her head against André's chest. He'd crawled into bed next to her, holding her close, knowing that's what she needed now.<p>

'Thanks André,' she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as she felt sleep overtake her.

'No prob, Tor,' he whispered in reply, shifting into a more comfortable position, resting his own head on a pillow. Slowly, he felt himself drift off to sleep too, and for once, his dreams were not plagued by images of Jade.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

Tori wasn't feeling any better by morning, and André found his concern for his best friend grow with each passing minute.  
>'André, come on, just go to the studio and record the last two songs. I'll be fine, okay? Just tell them I'm not feeling well.' André stubbornly shook his head.<br>'Tori, I'm not leaving you alone like this.'

She groaned. 'André, just go, okay? Just finish the demo, and I bet by the time you get back, I'll feel better.' He frowned. 'And what if you don't?'  
>She sighed. 'Then I'll go home. Okay? I'll go home, and you finish the demo. But I'll be fine, so I won't have to go home. Just use the vocals we have on your laptop for today. I'm sure they'll understand.'<p>

Finally, after a lot of pouting on Tori's part, André caved and left for the studio, promising her he'd be back in no time.

Tori rolled and shifted in her bed, trying to get comfortable, but, being unable to do so, eventually sat up and pulled out her phone.

Scrolling through her contact's list, she stopped at Beck's name. She hesitated before pressing 'Call'. She checked the clock. Eleven AM, which made it eight AM in LA. Somehow, she knew Beck would be up.

'Tori?' He picked up.

'How did you know it was me?' She said, surprised at hoarseness of her voice.

'Caller ID, duh. So, how's New York?' She frowned at the crabbiness in his voice.

'Great. I love it. But . . . That's not why I called.'

She could hear his hesitation when he replied. 'What's wrong?'

'I think I'm a bit ill. Caught the flu or something. Anyway, I'm coming home early and my parents aren't home yet, so I was wondering if you'd be okay with picking me up at the airport.'

While she said this, she knew she should've told André she was going to leave anyway. But she knew he would never have left for the studio if she had.

Concern laced in Beck's voice as he replied, 'Yeah, of course. Are you okay?'

She coughed and made a face. 'Yeah, I'm fine, just not fine enough to stay.' Her throat burned and she winced.  
>'What did André say?' Was she imagining it, or was there a note of harshness to his voice? 'I didn't tell him yet. He left for the studio. Thinks I'm going to the studio with him tomorrow. I don't think I'll make that though. I really feel sick.'<p>

'Well, let me know when your plane is supposed to land, and I'll pick you up.'

She sniffed and nodded. 'Okay, thanks Beck.'

'Anytime, Tori.'

'Bye.'

'Bye.'

Tori hung up, feeling another wave of nausea wash over her, jumped up and ran for the bathroom, barely making it, before throwing up noisily in the toilet again.

'Oh, this is going to be a horrible day,' she whispered to herself, resting her cheek on the cold marble of the floor.

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV<strong>  
><strong>The next day<strong>

Tori left yesterday afternoon, feeling even more horrible than she had before. I wanted to go home with her, but she told me I should stay to finish the demo we'd worked so hard on.  
>Besides, I'd only be gone for one more day, and she had Beck picking her up at the airport, and he promised me he'd look after her.<p>

Now there was something I hadn't doubted.

If there was ever anyone who would look after my best friend better than I would, it'd be Beck Oliver. No matter how many times he'd deny it – I knew he felt something for Tori too. I just knew.

Not like with me and Jade though. God, I wish I could just stop thinking about her. But I knew I couldn't, no matter how much I'd try.  
>Now, I'm not one to wallow in self-pity and depression, but I gotta tell you, being in love with your best friend's girlfriend did that to you. And to make matters worse, my girl best friend was in love with my guy best friend, and they both knew it. He just happened to have a girlfriend.<p>

And that girlfriend happened to be the girl I loved.

So now you see, we are not that easy and uncomplicated as many think we are – our group of friends was riddled with intrigues and secrets.

I sighed softly and strummed my guitar, waiting for the go-ahead on the last song. I was lucky I had Tori's vocals for Make It Shine on my laptop, or we might've had a wee bit of a problem.

Biting my lip, I hoped Tori was going to be okay on her own in the plane. I know she's a big girl that can take care of herself, but still . . .

I worried about her. She really was my best friend—she was always there for me. I honestly don't know what I would've done or said when I didn't have Tori to talk to, now more than ever.

'Okay André,' Buick said through the mic, 'Go for it!' I smiled slightly and the first notes of Make It Shine. The only thing we had left to do for today was the instrumental part for Make It Shine.

My thoughts drifted into the memories of the first time I'd played this in public – Tori Vega had rocked it. As she always did when singing my songs.  
>Or any song.<p>

And before I knew it, I was playing the last chords.

'Okay, André!' A harsh voice snapped me from my haze. 'That's a wrap. You can come here now, we'll cut the pieces together in a minute, if you wanna see.'  
>I smiled. 'Yeah, sure.'<p>

Messing around with the standard of the microphone, trying to straighten it, I finally gave up and returned my guitar to the table. As I walked into the studio, Buick clapped my shoulder enthusiastically, and laughed. 'You did it, kid. You and your friend blew away my boss. Where is she anyway?' I sighed. I'd told him about four times that Tori was sick and had gone home.

'On a plane home. She's ill.'

He frowned. 'Oh, right. You mentioned that.' He ushered me to the door, and before I got to do much more, he said, 'Well, because you'll probably want to celebrate your demo, I got you VIP access to the hottest club in New York. MARKS is a really cool club – all under 21.'

I frowned. 'I don't know if I want to go on my own.' Buick rolled his eyes. 'Go nuts, kid. You're not going to tell me you don't want to go out in New York just once. It'll give you something to brag about back in LA.'

I frowned. Maybe going out wasn't such a bad idea after all. I mean, get my mind off things. And maybe I'd meet a really cute girl. Someone to make me forget about Jade for a while.  
>I bit my lip.<p>

'Maybe I could check it out.' Buick smiled. 'Yeah, you should, kid.'

* * *

><p><strong>Ten PM – MARKS<strong>

I sighed and warily eyed the entrance of the club. People were queuing for at least three blocks to get in.  
>Maybe going in there wasn't such a good idea after all.<p>

I wasn't really the clubbing kind of guy. Sure, I liked going out and partying, everyone did, but I'd always be with my friends. Never on my own.

My heart pounded in my ears and I sighed; then again, maybe the anonymity of this club in New York was exactly what I needed.  
>To just go nuts and forget about everything for one night, and one night only.<p>

And before I had made my decision, I found my feet already carrying me to the entrance. 'André Harris,' I said, as if in a trance, 'I'm on the list.' The tall dude nodded at his friend, and they gestured me to go inside.

'Have fun, kid!' someone called after me before I got lost in the ever entrancing beat of the music and smoke machine.

* * *

><p><strong>So, shorter chapter, I know, but not any less good, I hope xD<strong>

**Please, all of you, read & review! Tell me what you think!**

**Thanks to everyone who faved and alerted and reviewed! I love you guys!**

**VERY SPECIAL SHOUTOUT:**

**Again, JustSmileBFF, you rock! Thank you for helping me out on the chapters I have so far!**

**X Annaelle**


	3. Dance With Me

**So, are you guys ready for this? **

**When I first had the idea for this story, this chapter was the first I completed.  
>So, this is a <em>really <em>important chapter in the story - it kinda kicks the story into gear. I do have to warn you, there's some aldult content, though no real lemons. **

**Yet.**

**Without any further ado, here's chapter three :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious. I merely borrow its characters to make them do whatever pops into my brain. I will give them back. Eventually. **

* * *

><strong>Chapter three – Dance With Me<strong>**ANDRÉ'S POV**

The club was packed with people, throngs of bodies swaying on the dancefloor to the entrancing beat of the music.  
>The hazy smoke of the smoke machine made breathing difficult, and I suddenly felt light-headed due to a lack of oxygen. Instead of heading for the dancefloor, I pushed my way through the groups of people to the bar.<p>

I let my eyes travel over the nameless faces in the club, pausing at several occasions when I noticed a pretty girl, but every time I did, I caught myself comparing them to Jade. I was not getting any closer to forgetting about her than I had been thirty minutes ago, when I got in here.  
>I turned around, facing the bartender. Tori wasn't here. I didn't know anyone here.<p>

'Hey man,' I yelled to get heard above the loud music, 'One beer.' He frowned. 'You twenty-one?' I smirked. 'Sure, why not?' He laughed. 'Good answer.'  
>He reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of beer.<p>

The music still pounding in my ear, vibrating through my body, I drained the first bottle in one gulp. I set the bottle down, frowning in surprise when it was immediately replaced by another. I glanced up at the bartender.

'You look like you need it, kid.'

I frowned. 'Why does everyone here keep calling me kid?'

He didn't answer, nor did I want an answer. I just took the bottle and drank more of the bitter drink, feeling it already cloud my mind. I hadn't had any dinner, and drinking on an empty stomach usually wasn't a great idea – though now I couldn't wait to get drunk.

The melody of the song trailed off and changed into a faster rhythm, but I did not feel the urge to dance at all. It had been years since I'd really danced.

'Don't you have anything stronger?' I yelled after my third beer. The bartender eyed me carefully. 'Don't you think you've had enough, kid?' Though my mind was getting more sluggish and fogged, I was still all too aware of all the shit waiting for me in LA.

'No! Not nearly enough.'

Still too reluctant to my taste, he pulled out a bottle of whisky and a gave me the first shot.

As I got to the third or fourth shot, someone bumped into my back hard, making me spill my drink.  
>Angry over the spilled liquid, I turned to yell at whoever it was, but my words were lost in my mouth when my eyes met a pair of deep chocolate brown eyes.<br>Slowly, my eyes traveled down, seeing the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

I was vaguely aware of my heart beating slightly faster as I took in her full appearance. She was tall – almost as tall as I was –,slim and strangely tanned. Her hair was pitch black – or so it seemed in the dim light – and her eyes . . . Man, her eyes. Swirling deep pools of melted chocolate.  
>I couldn't get myself to tear my gaze from hers.<p>

'Oh my God,' She yelled, trying to get over the music, 'I'm so sorry! Are you okay?' Still somehow dazed, I realized I couldn't compare her to Jade – I didn't want to. This girl was everything Jade wasn't – everything I wanted.

I wanted her. 'Yeah, I'm fine,' I yelled back. She smiled – stopping my heart as she did. What the hell was it about her that held me entranced? I must've looked like an idiot.

And yet, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd seen her before somewhere.

'Do I know you?' I asked when the music died away slightly. She laughed and took the seat next to mine. 'You know that's the worst pick-up-line ever, right?' I grinned slightly and took the new shot the bartender gave me.  
>'I'm serious. I've seen you before somewhere.' She rolled her eyes and leaned closer. 'I'm sure I would remember you,' she replied and took the shot from my hands before I could drink it.<p>

Amused, I watched as she took the shot and drained it, smacking her lips as she did. Her full, pink, extremely kissable lips. _Dang it, André, _I scolded, _Keep it together. _  
>'Can I get another one of these?' She said, playfully running her finger up and down my arm. I ignored the shivers she sent down my spine and the electricity that seemed to be coursing through my veins, smiled and nodded at the bartender.<p>

He sighed and got out another glass, filling both of them and handing them back.

I drank it, just in time to see whatever her name was clap her hands and squeal in pleasure. 'I love this song!' she yelled as 'In My Head' from Jason Derulo played. She jumped up and tugged at my sleeve. 'Dance with me. Please?' Her eyes seemed to grow, and my head swam in mad and drunk desire.

I got up and offered her my hand, smiling as she laughed flirtatiously and placed her hand in mine, interlocking her slim fingers with mine.  
>She smoothly pulled me onto the dancefloor, and I somehow noticed how everything seemed to be swaying – more than it should anyway.<p>

She twirled away from my embrace, her slim and tan body moving in perfect unison with the music. The music picked up in pace, the sensual tone and the way she moved turning me on so bad it hurt.  
>She spun back into my arms, and I let the music wash over me, her body slowly guiding mine.<p>

My head fogged over in lust, her soft and so extremely tempting body pressing into mine. The song ended, and I realized I had hardly moved. She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around my neck, now fully pressing her body into mine. She sighed softly, and I could feel her hot breath tickle my neck. 'You suck at dancing,' she whispered. I chuckled and let my hands slide down to her waist, pulling her closer as a slower song played.

Her body moved flush against mine, and I let out an involuntary groan.

The heat covering the pair of us was something beyond anything I'd ever experienced before – but surely that was nothing more than lust, invoked by too much alcohol. I had literally never wanted to be with anyone more than with her; not even Jade.

We continued holding one another close, our bodies moving as one until the song trailed off. Slowly, she leaned away. 'Maybe we should get another drink,' she said, pulling me to a private cubicle, gesturing at the waiter to get us a drink.

'So,' I began, feeling the need to talk to her, 'Do you have a name, or do you just dance really well and know how to turn a guy on?' She laughed softly and leaned in. 'I turn you on?'  
>If I hadn't been drunk, I might've blushed, but in my current state, I felt no shame in telling her that she was extremely hot, and that she turned me on with every move she made.<p>

'Yeah, you do,' I replied, somehow finding myself leaning closer to her. She smiled, our faces inches apart, 'Funny. You have the same effect on me.'

With that whispered confession, she snaked her arms around my neck, pulling our faces closer together, crossing the final inches between us as she did that which I had been wanting to do all night. Her lips were incredibly soft, and almost addictive. She tasted of cocktails and watermelon, and I slowly kissed her back, grazing my teeth on her lower lip. She smiled into the kiss and opened her mouth slightly, slipping her tongue into my mouth. I was vaguely aware of her fingers locking in my hair. Both of our tongues wrestled for dominance and I could feel that I was about to lose it, but I somehow reminded myself we were still in public, when I found my hands at the hem of her shirt.

My heart ached at the act, but I pulled her hands from my hair softly, slowly leaning back and breaking the kiss. My lips left hers with a small popping sound.  
>She gazed at me, biting her lower lip softly, her eyes large.<p>

God, she was sexy.

'I don't even know your name,' I whispered, still holding her hands. She was unnervingly close. 'Why ruin the moment with needless information?' She replied before she pressed her lips on mine again, before I got the chance to say anything else.  
>My mind fogged over and my priorities were reduced to holding her closer, trying to fulfill the desire of being as close to her as I possibly could.<p>

This time, she broke the kiss. 'We're in public,' she managed to say between the kisses. I let the meaning of the words sink in and then smiled. 'Do you want to go somewhere . . . More private with me?' I tried to be a little bit seductive about it. Her face was expressionless for a short moment, and then she smiled.

'I'd love to.'

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the hotel – 20 minutes later<strong>

Our clothing was spread out all over the room. My heart was pounding somewhere in my throat, and my skin was burning. She moaned into my mouth as I pushed her down on the bed, caressing every visible bit of her olive skin.  
>I broke the kiss, slowly trailing my lips down her chin and neck, marveling the sweet taste of her silky skin.<p>

I smirked softly when she gasped as I kissed between the valley between her breasts. God, she was so hot. I wanted all of her.  
>All night.<p>

Slowly, I reached for the clasp of her bra, unhooked it and tossed it aside. Her perfect round breasts were inexplicably irresistible, and I turned my attention to one breast, kissing it softly, swirling my tongue around her nipple, caressing the other with my right hand.  
>I could hear she tried not to, but she couldn't help but let a moan of pleasure escape her lips.<p>

Suddenly, her fingers were once again locked in my hair, and she pulled me back up to face her. 'Stop teasing me,' she said, her voice a hoarse whisper, her eyes darkened with desire. 'As you wish,' I smirked, leaning down to kiss her again.

And suddenly, the roles were backwards. She flipped us, straddling me, grinding into me as if she were dancing the salsa.

God. Instant hard-on.

She moved her lips from mine, copying my earlier moves, kissing down my neck, biting down a little. Involuntarily, I felt my grip on her waist tighten.  
>She leaned up and attacked my lips with hers again, and my boxers grew even tighter. I groaned, and she bucked her hips against mine.<p>

She traced her hands down my abs, stopping at the hem of my boxers. I noted a certain hesitation in the kiss and leaned away.  
>'Hey, are you okay?' I said, studying her expression. She bit her lip and sat up slightly. 'Yeah. . . It's . . .' She sighed. 'Nothing. It's embarrassing.'<br>I frowned. 'What is?' She shook her head. 'Nothing.' She leaned down to kiss me again, but I pushed her back, somehow a lot more sober than I had been before.

'If you don't want to go there, fine. We'll just –'

'I'm a virgin!' She exclaimed. I stared at her for a moment. 'Oh.'  
>She groaned. 'I'm sorry. I ruined it. I shouldn't have said anything.' She got up and reached down to pick up her bra. I sat up too, confused. A moment ago, I'd thought she wanted me to . . . And now she didn't.<p>

I grabbed her wrist. 'If you didn't want to, then why did you come here?' She bit her lip. 'Because I want to. I just . . . Does it hurt?'  
>All sobered up, but still really turned on, I shrugged. 'I . . . I don't know. I guess maybe a little.' She sighed softly.<p>

I got up too, not bothering to let go of her wrist. My heart was pounding as I looked into her eyes, thinking upon what I wanted to say. 'Did I do something you didn't want me to?' She bit her lip. 'Yeah. . .' Her eyes locked with mine – my heart stopped beating. 'You stopped,' she whispered, before crashing her lips onto mine again.

We stumbled back to the bed.

* * *

><p>After a moment of silence, she turned her head to look at me. I bit my lip. 'Did I hurt you?' She smiled and shook her head. 'No. No, it was great.'<p>

And I don't know why I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do, so I pulled her into my arms, reached for the tangled sheets to cover us, and kissed her softly.  
>When I leaned back, she smiled at me and scooted closer into my embrace, closing her eyes as I flipped the light switch by the bed.<p>

And then I began to think upon what I had just done. I slept with a girl I barely knew – God, I even took her virginity! That was just . . . So unlike me.  
>I didn't think I could have sex with someone I didn't love. I mean, come on. How stupid was this situation? I wasn't that drunk.<p>

_Right?_

And I didn't even know her name. Then again . . . It seriously was the best I had ever had.

_Maybe . . . Just maybe we'll get to know each other later. _Was my last coherent thought before sleep overtook me.

* * *

><p><p>

**I hope you guys liked it :D**

**I do, however, have some things to say :D  
>First off, I'd like to apologize if André seems a bit OOC here, but the way he felt was kind of important :D<strong>

**Second, again, I want to thank you guys for your awesome reviews :D You guys are like _the _best readers!**

**Shoutout:**

**msjei09: Well, I don't really know what gave you that idea ;) She just has the flu :p**

**Sokka2Me: Hope it lived up to your expectations :D**

**SKRowling: Haha, that was my intention. To make them that close, I mean xD **

**Jeremy Shane: Oh, don't worry :D There'll be plenty :p**

**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT:**

**Thank you, JustSmileBFF, for helping me out and pre-reading everything!  
>You're the best, I love you!<strong>

**Okay, that's about it for this ridiculously long Author's Note :p**

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	4. Hangover

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, much to my own displeasure.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter four – Hangover<strong>

**ANDRÉ'S POV**

When I awoke, sunlight streamed across my face, the warmth quite pleasant, the sheets tangled around my body. And I would've loved to wake up like this any day—especially after the greatest night ever—were it not for my raging hangover. My head was pounding with an incessant drumbeat that was a little too similar to the song I had danced to last night.

Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut against the protruding light from between the curtains. I swallowed hard, wincing slightly. My mouth was extremely dry—as if I'd been eating sand.  
>My stomach churned, and I solemnly swore to myself never to drink that much again.<p>

I groaned, rolling onto my side, fully expecting my arm to connect with my mystery girl's warm and naked body.

Instead, my arm met nothing but thin air as it hit the mattress softly where the girl had been sleeping before.  
>My eyes snapped open and I shot up, moaning softly as I felt my stomach twist and lurch in warning. I fell back, closing my eyes again, my headache forgotten for a moment as I prayed for my stomach to settle down.<p>

I really didn't want to throw up.

Luckily for me, after a few deep breaths, and a whole lot of prayers, my stomach settled down, and allowed me to think about the girl again.

_Where the hell did she go? _

I risked opening my eyes again, wincing as the persistent sunlight burned my eyes. I glanced at the side of the bed where she had been before I fell asleep with her in my arms.

There was something on the pillow. Squinting my eyes, I finally ID'ed the thing as my phone. Frowning, I reached for it, unlocking it to see a short message she left me—two tiny sentences.

_In my head, I see you all over me. In my head, you fulfilled my fantasy.  
>— J<em>

After that, she'd left me a sequence of numbers. Her phone number.

And at that point my hangover kicked in again, my head feeling as if it was being split in two with a blunt axe.  
>I moaned softly, throwing my phone down next to me while falling on my back, clutching my head.<p>

No more stupid getting drunk to forget games for me.

No more hot one night stands that I was never going to see again.

I felt horrible.

Unaware of exactly how long I lay there, waiting for the headache to subside, I remembered I had a plane to catch.

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone—my ringtone seemed so extremely loud, I thought blood would be running from my ears.  
>I groaned painfully and reached for the phone, groping around blindly. Finally, my fingers connected with the cold material of my phone, and I managed to pick it up and put it on speaker.<p>

'Hullo?'

'André, how was the club last night?' Buick blared, almost as if he was shouting through the phone.

I groaned. 'Great man. Would you mind keeping your voice down a little bit?'

He laughed. My head pounded. 'I hear you celebrated elaborately. Picked up a pretty girl, did you?'  
>I frowned. 'You had someone follow me?'<p>

'I have to protect my investment, kid. You didn't do anything she didn't want? We don't need scandals before your career has even begun.'

Trying to ignore my headache, I sat up, still frowning. 'Man, I don't want to talk about this now. My head is imploding, and I need to pack my stuff to go home. I'll talk to you later.'

I hung up, trying to clear my head. I needed to take care of the hangover before I could do anything else.  
>Moving sluggishly slow, I got up and stumbled towards the bathroom, turning on the shower quickly. Before I could change my mind, I jumped in and gasped as the ice cold water splattered on my skin.<p>

Though I gasped in shock, the water had the wanted effect – my head cleared slightly. By the time I got out, I was freezing and goose bumps covered my body. I grabbed a towel from the sink and quickly dried.

Now my head was slightly cleared, I began to think upon what I had to do today, before I could go home.

I had to pack my things – which could take a while, all my belongings seemed to have spread all through the loft during the five days I'd stayed here – go to the studio to pick up the demo, make sure I got to JFK two hours before boarding and try not to throw up.

Sighing, I returned to the bedroom, looking around for clothes that hadn't been discarded onto the floor. Finally, I managed to find a clean pair of boxers and jeans, groaning when another wave of nausea washed over me. 'Dang it,' I cursed, fleeing into the bathroom in case I did have to throw up.  
>Gagging, I ripped open the lid of the toilet, groaning, almost wishing I would throw up already – just to get it over with.<p>

I hated being sick, and I hated being hung-over even more. Resting my head against the marble of the toilet, I imagined how Tori would make fun of me if she'd see me like this.

After a few minutes, it became evident that I wasn't actually going to throw up, and that my upset stomach was just playing tricks on me.  
>I got up and splashed cold water in my face. I looked up at the mirror, noting just how horrible I looked.<p>

_This is going to be a long day, _I thought, sighing as I dragged myself to the kitchen to get water.

Lots of water.

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – JFK<strong>

As I got in line to get my passport checked, I felt the effects of my painkiller wear off, my headache slowly returning.  
>The day had been as long, tiring, excruciating and horrible as I had predicted this morning.<p>

Though I had expected it might take a while to get all my stuff back together, I hadn't thought it would take most of the morning. Then again, _you_ try locating stuff with a raging hangover.  
>Or try reasoning with a crazy ass talent scout who is convinced you tried to assault a girl but you were too drunk to remember.<p>

I sighed. And he just wouldn't stop yelling at me. I mean, seriously, I told him nothing bad happened, and that I had a headache. Was that hint too hard to get? Sure, I got an amazing demo, and I'd spent a week in New York, but still. . . Dealing with that crazy dude was just a little bit too much to ask. Especially now.

Usually, I'm never in a bad mood – but then, usually, I don't drink nearly as much as I had last night. Sure, it paid off in the end, but I just hated hangovers.

'Passport, sir?' the bored-looking man behind the counter interrupted my thoughts. I handed him my passport, slowly wondering if Tori would be better already. And if I should tell her about the one-nightstand.  
>Probably not. See, Tori's a sweetheart, and I love her for it, but sometimes, she could be so . . . So . . . prudish when it came to things like this.<br>No, that makes it sound so bad. Tori's the kind of person who believes sex is meant to be an act of love, and love only. Having sex with someone you don't even know would be doing the opposite of everything she believed in.

The man handed me back my passport, informing me I had to get to Gate three, and that boarding would begin in half an hour.

I tried to smile, but gave up soon, and headed for the large plastic sign that hung from the ceiling, reading 'Gates 1-3-5-7' with a large arrow pointing to the right.

I looked around, feeling somehow uncomfortable at the sight of families reuniting, people hugging and kissing, crying. It hadn't felt this uncomfortable when Tori had been here with me, and at the same time, it had been worse.

I'd seen the way people looked at us when we walked through the airport together, and I knew a lot of them had thought we were an item. A lot of people back home did too.

As I sat down in one of the chairs, not even bothering to look at how long the queue in front of me was, I contemplated that thought.  
>I tried to imagine how different my life would be if I'd love Tori instead of Jade. And for the millionth time, I actually caught myself wishing I loved her like that, wishing Tori would love me instead of Beck.<p>

A mechanic voice interrupted my tangled thoughts, leaving my head throbbing painfully. Again.

Stupid hangover.

'All passengers for flight 654 to LAX, please start boarding now.' I got up and swung my bag over my shoulder, pulling my plane ticket from my pocket as I joined the queue.

As I waited, my thoughts remained blissfully blank, for once. Hardly aware of my surroundings, I handed the girl my ticket, still trying to ignore my headache, which was getting worse by the minute.

'Row B, seat four,' she said with a smile. I attempted a smile and headed through the long corridor, into the plane. As I got to my seat, I praised my good fortune – I was seated next to the window, and an old lady who seemed to be sleeping already. I sat down next to her and worriedly glanced at her.

_She was asleep, wasn't she? _

Just as I was about to poke her, she snored loudly, causing me to jump in surprise, before I grinned slightly.  
>Leaning back into my seat, I pulled out my phone, watching other people trickle into the plane in small groups.<p>

Slowly, I typed a message to Tori.

**Me: Hey girl ****J**** How ya doin'? Feeling better?  
>On a plane home now. See you tomorrow! <strong>

'Sir?' I looked up to a steward, pointing at my phone. 'Could you switch that off, please? We're about to take off.'  
>I shrugged. 'Yeah, sure.' I switched off my phone, buckled the seatbelt and closed my eyes as the plane began to move.<p>

_Oh, god, my head hurts._

My thoughts blurred as the plane took off.

Sweet dreams. For now.

* * *

><p><strong>You guys are seriously the sweetest :D <strong>

**I know this is a shorter chapter, a lot shorter than before, but I promise you, in a few chapters, I'll make up for it :D  
>I'm on a two-week school break now, so, for those of you waiting for chapter fifteen of Music and Lyrics, expect an update later this week or early next week!<strong>

**While I'm on that subject, I'd like to react to a few reviews I got there and on other stories, so if you don't care about that, please skip to the bottom :D  
>Someone asked how the sequal to Leave It All To Shine was coming, and I have some good news on that part :D I've basically worked out the storyline, and I've started on writing the first few chapters. I promised myself I'd take the time to finish MaL and HBA first, before I upload that story onto the site :D <strong>

**Second, I've been getting some pretty hurtful reviews, saying that I was a copycat and that I don't know how to make my own story, so - SPOILER ALERT -, I'm sorry for those who were actually hoping for this, but Beck is not proposing to Tori on her birthday party, and I will not have June's dad freak out over her. **

**That being said, back to this story xD **

**I love you guys for the lovely reviews I got, and I hope this lives up to your expectations, despite its shortness :) To make it up to you, and because the next chapter is a short one too, I'll update next Wednesday instead of Friday :D **

**S****o, I guess there's nothing more to do than to thank JustSmileBFF againfor all of her help, and to thank you guys for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting!**

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	5. Guytalk With Beck

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, I merely borrow and manipulate its characters for an indefinite period of time, purely for my own and your amusement.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter five – Guy-talk With Beck<strong>

**BECK'S POV – TWO DAYS EARLIER**

'So now you think I'm ugly?' Jade cried, angrily throwing her cup of coffee across the room.  
>I groaned, annoyance boiling inside of me. 'I didn't say that! When have I ever said that?' She crossed her arms.<br>'You are being stupid. What does it matter?'

'What? What does it matter? What does it matter that our friends don't even want to be around us anymore?'

She sighed. 'I only tolerate Robbie and Cat's . . . Cat.' 'I don't care! They're _my_ friends too! Just because I'm dating you doesn't mean I have to stay away from my friends!' Jade groaned.  
>'So you'd rather be dating someone else? Who? It's Tori isn't it? I kne –'<p>

My anger peaking, I kicked at a chair. 'Damn it, Jade! I love you! You! If I didn't, why the hell would I still be with you? Why would I ever cheat on you? Is it so hard to believe I love you?' Her grim façade faltered for a split-second, and I saw the Jade I had once fallen in love with. The Jade I knew was under the hate and the many layers of dark makeup.

'We'll sit with _your_ friends today. Okay? And now, I don't want to talk about this anymore.' With those words, she walked away, leaving me alone in the ping pong room.

I groaned and just slumped back into the couch, just wishing, for a moment, that Jade wouldn't have brought Tori up. Now, I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her for the next four hours.  
>I felt things for Tori, I knew that. And I knew she was in love with me. But I loved Jade. <em>Didn't I?<em>

I immediately scolded myself for that thought. Of course I did. I wouldn't have stayed with Jade for almost four years if I hadn't loved her.  
>Not even Tori could change that.<p>

My thoughts drifted off. The way Tori had smiled at me when she told me she was going to New York for the week, alone with André, how she had hugged me as if she never wanted me to let go. And then she had to ruin the moment and bring Jade up.  
>But I hadn't been jealous of André – no, why would I? Tori was my friend. Just my friend. And it would be awesome if she and André would date – they would be great together.<p>

But if I wasn't jealous, why did that thought scare me so much? Why did I feel anger boil up inside of me whenever I saw them smile at each other, or when they were talking to each other, or hugged or – I stopped myself.

_Damn it, Beck. Let's get this straight. You love Jade West, the girl you have been with for almost four years. Tori Vega is one of your best friends, and you know she probably likes André. And you're cool with that. _

I sat up, ridding my thoughts from Tori Vega. I wouldn't allow myself to think of her anymore. Not until she got back.

As if on cue, my phone started ringing. Pulling it from my pocket, I saw Tori's picture and groaned. I could do two things.  
>I could pick up, and be stuck with her voice in my head for the rest of the week, or I could ignore her call and feel guilty about it for the next month.<p>

_Yep. I'd go for having her voice in my head. _

'Tori?' I picked up, leaning back into the pillows of the couch.

'How did you know it was me?' She asked, and I found myself clutching onto the phone, hanging on to her words as if they were my favorite drug.  
><em>Dang it, Beck! <em>I scolded myself.

'Caller ID, duh,' I finally said, perhaps crabbier than I could've been, 'So, how's New York?' I noted how her voice sounded hoarse.

'Great. I love it. But . . . That's not why I called.' I frowned. Tori would only call me if there was something wrong. I hated to think that something bad had happened to her.

'What's wrong?'

'I think I'm a bit ill. Caught the flu or something. Anyway, I'm coming home early and my parents aren't home yet, so I was wondering if you'd be okay with picking me up at the airport.'

I jumped up and would've driven straight to New York myself if she'd asked me, but I managed to calm myself, sitting down again, running a hand through my hair. 'Yeah, of course,' I replied, noting just how concerned my voice sounded, 'Are you okay?' _Please, let her be okay._

She coughed softly, and I knew she'd tried to keep the phone at a distance, so I wouldn't hear. 'Yeah, I'm fine, just not fine enough to stay.'

Slowly, I felt my anger rise. Didn't I tell André to look after her? 'What did André say?' _Dang, that sounded harsher than it should've. '_I didn't tell him yet. He left for the studio. Thinks I'm going to the studio with him tomorrow. I don't think I'll make that though. I really feel sick.'

'Well, let me know when your plane is supposed to land, and I'll pick you up.'

She sniffed. 'Okay, thanks Beck.' I imagined how she'd whisper 'I love you,' instead, how I'd reply with the same words, how hearing the words from her lips would warm me and make me forget how to breathe.

And I realized I could deny this as much as I liked – it wasn't going away. I was prepared to do anything for Tori. Things like drop 40 feet. 'Anytime, Tori,' I replied, trying to shake off the confusion.

'Bye.' The word was hardly even whispered. 'Bye.'

And she hung up.

I tried to be mad at myself. I tried to deny.  
>But in the end, Jade had been right. I did wish she was Tori.<p>

I loved Jade. But I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Tori. And it was getting worse every single day.

And I hated it.

* * *

><p><strong>THREE DAYS LATER – ANDRÉ'S POV – TORI'S HOUSE<strong>

Tori and I were sitting on her couch, both holding a cup of hot cocoa, listening to our very own demo. Tori's smile seemed to be stuck on her face permanently.

As the last notes died away, Tori began clapping, putting down her cup of cocoa, before taking mine, putting it on the table and hugging me tightly.  
>'We did it,' she whispered, 'We got us a professional demo.' I smiled and hugged her back. 'Yeah, we did.'<p>

She leaned back and reached for the cup of cocoa again. 'So, how was New York after I left?' I blushed, thinking back to my mystery girl – I had decided to call her "J" to make it easier to think about her – and the night we spent together.  
>'Oh, not much,' I lied, hoping she wouldn't notice. She frowned. 'Really?' I grabbed my cocoa and nodded. 'Yeah . . . Just recorded Make It Shine and watched how they cut everything together.'<p>

She bit her lip. 'Still sounds better than being here.' I leaned back into the couch and studied her expression. 'How bad was it?'  
>She sighed. 'Well, at first, it wasn't that bad. I mean, Beck came to pick me up, and he was really sweet and caring . . .' her voice trailed off a little, and I noted the small blissful smile playing her lips. 'But then, Jade came over and accused me of pretending to be sick, so I could be alone with Beck, and then she accused him of cheating, and they were just yelling all the time. . .' She sighed.<p>

I immediately felt bad for her. How could Jade just be that mean to her when she was sick? As I thought about it – that was just what Jade did. She was always mad at Tori, even if she didn't do anything wrong.

Tori sighed. 'Well, Cat came over yesterday to keep me company, and I felt a bit better. And then this morning, you were here, and now I feel all better.' She smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

I looked around, and for the first time, I noticed the house was empty. 'Where's your monster?' I asked, wondering if Beck had seriously left Tori alone when she was feeling that horrible. Tori rolled her eyes. '_Trina_ is with a friend. She's been there for the last two days.'

She sipped her cocoa, avoiding my eye. I sighed. 'Tori. Look at me.' She looked up reluctantly. 'Do you want me to stay over? Until Monday? So you won't be alone?' Sighing slightly, she nodded, as I knew she would. 'Would you mind?' I shook my head and half-hugged her. 'Of course I don't, Latina.'  
>She smiled. 'Thanks.'<p>

After a moment of comfortable silence, she leaned her head on my shoulder. 'Do you wanna watch CSI?' she asked, after another moment of silence.  
>I grinned. 'Sure Tor.' She reached for the remote and switched on the TV, and before long, we were both caught up in our own thoughts.<p>

Tori's thoughts were on Beck, no doubt, but my thoughts were, for once, not on Jade, but on J.

_I just wish I could see her again. Just once._

* * *

><p><strong>MONDAY – HOLLYWOOD ARTS – ANDRÉ'S POV<strong>

'So you just slept with her? Just like that?' I leaned against my locker and smiled at Beck. 'Yeah. I mean, I was seriously drunk. I don't think I would've gone that far if I hadn't been that drunk.'

Beck grinned. 'But was it good?' I smiled. 'Oh yeah. So good. She was smoking hot, man.' Beck groaned. 'Man, why does the good stuff always happen to you?' I laughed. 'Just got lucky, I guess.' Beck nodded. 'You could say that.'

There was just a little bit too much resentment in his voice to escape my notice. 'Dude. You're dating the hottest chick in Hollywood Arts. All the time. I got lucky once.' A curious look crossed Beck's face, before he grabbed my wrist and literally dragged me to the Janitor's Closet.

'Dude,' I scolded, 'Why the girly private talk?' He rolled his eyes. 'Look, I'm gonna tell you something, and I need you to swear you won't tell anyone else.' I raised my eyebrows, but agreed. 'Sure, whatever. I promise.'  
>Beck sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'Look, I love Jade. More than anything. But . . .' He sighed and bit his lip. 'What if I told you I think I'm falling in love with someone else?'<p>

I felt my mouth fall open, and I just couldn't remember how to close it. 'Wha . . . You . . . But what about Jade?' He shook his head. 'I love her. I just . . . I think I love T –' he stopped himself. 'Love who?' He shook his head.  
>'No, I . . . I gotta figure what I feel for Jade and for <em>her<em> before I can tell you.'

Now, Beck might've been an awesome actor, but I knew my best friend. Both of them.

'Beck?'

'Yeah?'

'Is it Tori?' He stared at me for a moment, and then sighed. 'Of course it is.'

He kicked at an empty bucket. 'I'm in love with Tori Vega. And I hate it.'

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know, another shortie, but I promise, Friday's update'll be longer :D And from then on, the chapters will get longer every single time :D I pinkie promise :p<strong>

**So, I love you guys for the sweet reviews you left, but some of them kinda confused me :) For instance, I don't really see how you think André is being set up, but I assure you, that is not it :D  
>There's something though xD <strong>

**I know, btw, that I promised an update on MAL, but the chapter just isn't working with me :( I'm so sorry, but I promise an update sometime this week :D **

**S****o, I guess there's nothing more to do than to thank JustSmileBFF again for all of her help, and to thank you guys for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting!**

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	6. Beck's Little Sister

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, I merely borrow and manipulate its characters for an indefinite period of time, purely for my own and your amusement.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter six – Beck's Little Sister<strong>

**BECK'S POV – One week later**

I was roughly awoken by an annoying feeling of something buzzing constantly against my cheek. I groaned softly and sat up, identifying the buzzing thing as my phone.

Frowning, I picked it up. 'Hullo?'

'Beck? Beck, it's me.' Once she had said that, I was wide awake. I glanced at the clock. Seven thirty AM. 'Jen? What's wrong?' I could vaguely identify a sound at the other side of the line as sobbing. 'Are you crying?'  
>She sniffed slightly. 'No. I just . . . Do you think dad would be okay to let me stay with you guys for a while?' I ran a hand through my hair. I hadn't talked to her in ages. My heart was pounding in wild surprise.<p>

Last time I'd seen her, my mom had been freaking out and yelling at my dad, not even caring enough that she was splitting us up.  
>My parents had gone through a bad divorce a few years ago, and they'd gone for split-custody.<p>

A few months after the divorce, my mom had decided she was done with LA and had left for New York. With Jen.  
>I hadn't seen her in a year after that; but we'd called. After that, I hadn't heard or seen anything from her in ages.<p>

'Jen, what's going on? Why are you . . .' I sighed softly. As I said, I really hadn't talked to her in ages. I hadn't seen her in years.  
>'Beck, please. Please, just tell me I can stay, please?' I bit my lip. 'Yeah, Jen, of course you can stay here. You're my sister.' I could hear her sigh of relief, and then a lot of murmurs, and the unmistakable sound of a mechanic broadcasting voice. 'Where are you anyway, Jen?'<p>

She laughed softly. 'JFK. My plane's boarding now.' I blinked in confusion. 'JFK? What . . . But . . . What about mom?'  
>She laughed bitterly. 'I doubt if she'll even know I'm not there anymore.'<br>I frowned. 'What did she do?' Jen sighed. 'She wants to tour the world with her pathetic excuse of a band. And I'm supposed to just tag along.'

I heard her voice break again.

'Oh, Jen,' I sighed, desperate to comfort her. 'When does your plane land? I'll come pick you up.'  
>She snorted softly and sighed. 'Ten AM LA-time. You sure you can make it?'<br>I nodded, but then remembered she couldn't see me. 'Yeah, of course I can. Are you sure you're okay?'

'Yeah. Listen, I gotta go. My plane's boarding and I gotta turn my phone off.'

'Okay, Jen. I'll see you when you get here.'

'Hey Beck?'

'Yeah, Jen?'

'Thanks big bro.'

I smiled slightly. 'Anytime little sis.'

My words were greeted by the steady beeping on the other side of the line. Sighing, I hung up, only to see five missed calls and seven text messages. From Jade. Typical.

I'd been on the phone for what, half an hour? And she was already freaking out on me. I leaned back into the pillows and opened the first message.

_JadeW (10 minutes ago): You wanna hook up, babe?_

_JadeW (8 minutes ago): Dude, why aren't U answering?_

_JadeW (6 minutes ago): Beckett James Oliver, answer me right now!_

_JadeW (4 minutes ago): R U cheating on me right now? _

_JadeW (3 minutes ago): Saying nothing is agreeing!_

_JadeW (2 minutes ago): So U want to break up?_

_JadeW (1 minute ago): If U don't text me back within 2 minutes, we're over._

I groaned. Why was she prone on overreacting lately? Seriously.  
>Slowly, I typed a reply.<p>

**Me: Chill, I was on the phone. What's up?**

Less than three seconds after I hit 'send', my phone rang again, Jade's picture flashing on the background. I sighed. I hadn't even been up for twenty minutes. I was so not ready for another screaming match with my girlfriend.

Nevertheless, I picked up.

'Hey babe,' I said, trying to keep my tone light and airy, despite the fact that I was still worried sick about Jen.

'Who were you on the phone with? Was it one of those slutty whores who run after you all the time?' I sighed – something she noticed immediately.  
>'What? Am I annoying you already? I'm so sor–'<p>

'Jade!' I yelled, so sick of that talk already, 'Shut up! I was talking to my sister!' For a moment she didn't say anything. 'You haven't talked to her in ages. Why would you start now?'

I sighed. Jade and Jen didn't get along. They never had.

'She called me. She was all freaked out. I gotta go pick her up at LAX in a few hours. Do you want to come with me?' She groaned and replied, 'Please. I've got better things to do than listen to Jenssen's petty problems. I'll see you later.'

And she hung up. Just like that.

Fuming, I threw my phone across the room, letting out a scream of frustration. _Why? Why did my girlfriend have to be such a bitch? Why did she have to make it so hard for me to stay in love with her?_

I jumped up and started pacing around, desperately trying to get the upper hand of my emotions. I just couldn't believe how insanely mad I was. Jade had never before worked me up like this – usually, I was able to keep my head cool, but for some reason, I just couldn't anymore.

And then there was this situation with Jen . . . I couldn't believe my mother would try to force Jen to tour the world with her.

Sure, my mom wasn't the best mom, she'd never been, but this was too much. No wonder Jen had snapped and packed up her stuff.  
>I loved Jen – she was like my twin, despite the fact she was one year younger than I was – and I had hated my dad when he had let my mom take Jen after the divorce.<p>

My thoughts blurred slightly before I managed to calm myself down. Hating my mom for making Jen choose again wasn't going to solve anything.  
>Hating Jade for not liking my sister wasn't going to help anything either. I glanced at the clock.<p>

Eight thirty AM.

I had some time before I had to go pick up Jen. I picked up my jeans off the floor and pulled a shirt from my closet. Might as well go inside and take a shower. Wouldn't want to smell horrible when I saw my sister for the first time in years, now would I?

* * *

><p><strong>BECK'S POV – 9.30 AM<strong>

Nervously running my hand through my hair, I looked around my suddenly extremely clean RV. See, last time I had seen Jen, I still lived with my dad. I mean, inside the house. This would be the first time she'd actually see my RV, and I really wanted her to like it. Even though we hadn't been that close lately.

I don't know how it happened – me and Jen growing apart like that. After my mom had moved to New York, Jen and I had made sure to call each other at least twice a week and to visit each other once a month, but after a few years, the phone calls had become more and more sporadic, and our visits were reduced to family parties.

Now, the last time I had actually seen my sister had been almost four years ago. And sure, I'd missed her, but I had managed not to think too much of it, at least, not until her distress call this morning.

Speaking of which, I should probably get going. I glanced at the clock. Half an hour to get to LAX. Should be more than enough.  
>I picked up my jacket and my keys, already heading for the door, when my phone buzzed.<p>

Frowning, I pulled it from my pocket, wondering who'd text me now.

_ToriV: Hey Beck, I was wondering if you'd like to hang out today?  
>André bailed on me, and Trina's . . . Somewhere. I'm bored:( <em>

I smiled to myself. Tori Vega wanted to hang out with me. That could be amazing. And no worrying about Jade either.  
>And then I remembered Jen.<p>

Dang it.

Slowly, a plan formed in my mind. I hit 'Reply' and grinned.

**Me: Hey TorTor :) I'd love to hang out with U, but I got to pick up my  
>sister at the airport. Wanna come with? <strong>

Seconds later, she replied. I smiled. She'd been waiting for my answer.

_ToriV: Sure :) I'd love to meet your sister. Can U pick me up?_

**Me: K. Be there in five.**

Suddenly even more nervous than I had been before, I fired up the engine of my truck, backing out of the driveway, heading for Tori's house.  
>She lived only a couple of blocks from me, and now that I thought of it, I had never really hung out with Tori on my own.<p>

Now why did that thought make me even more nervous?

All caught up in my own thoughts, I hardly noticed when I reached Tori's house. I wasn't able to snap out of my thoughts until Tori slid into the passenger seat, the scent of strawberries suddenly filling my truck. I smiled brightly at her, happy to see her. Too happy.

She eyed me suspiciously, but didn't say anything and then smiled.  
>See, that was one of the things I loved about Tori Vega. She could always make my day better by just smiling at me—a kind of smile I knew she saved just for me.<p>

But I wasn't in love with her. No, I had a girlfriend I loved more than anything in the world, even though I wanted to kill her sometimes.  
>'Why isn't Jade with you?' Tori said, turning to me. I ran a hand through my hair and shrugged. 'I've had just about enough of her for today.'<br>Tori smiled apologetically. 'Another fight?' I nodded.

She smiled sadly and reached out to pat my arm softly, only to yank away her hand when she felt the blush on her cheeks, but not before both of us had felt the bolt of electricity that seemed to have sprung up when her skin brushed past mine. And I knew Tori had felt the same thing when she swallowed difficultly, trying to look everywhere but in my direction, and turned in her seat, her gaze focused on the road.

After an awkward minute of silence, broken only by the soft music from my radio, Tori turned back to me, seemingly as if there had not been electricity between us, and said, 'So, your sister's coming here? I didn't even know you had a sister.' I bit my lip, feeling a smile spread on my face. 'I never really told you because it didn't come up. And yeah, she is. Finally. Took her long enough.'  
>Tori smiled. 'Aw, that's cute. You missed her.' I shook my head and composed a very believable tough-guy-expression. 'Of course not.'<p>

Tori suppressed a laugh and shook her head in desperation. 'Beck, sometimes you can be so stupidly cute.' My composure fell immediately, at the same time as she realized what she had just said.  
>'Forget that,' she said, desperately changing the subject again, 'what about your sister?' I leaned back in the chair. 'What about her?'<p>

'How old is she?'

I bit my lip again. 'Seventeen. She's a year younger than I am, but we were always really close.'

She smiled again – I noted how my heart fluttered as she did.

_Dang it, Beck, _I cursed, _Keep it together. _

'So, why doesn't she live with you guys?' I bit my lip. 'My parents divorced when we were eight. My mom moved to New York and took Jen with her like four years ago.'

Tori didn't say anything for a moment. Then . . . 'Do you miss your mom while she's gone?' I pondered that question. 'No,' I finally admitted, 'No, I don't. I miss Jen. I really miss her, but I haven't spent one moment missing my mother since she left LA.'

Tori bit her lip. 'Sorry, this is probably upsetting you, I really didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.' I smiled. 'You never make me feel uncomfortable.' I sighed softly. 'And I'm the one who should apologize to you. I'm sorry about last week.'

She frowned, a tiny crease forming on her forehead. 'What about last week?' I groaned. 'You know, when Jade came over to yell at you while you were sick. I'm really sorry about that.' She patted my arm again, causing yet another bolt of electricity to spring through my arm. 'Don't worry about it. After André came home, we had a pretty cool weekend anyway.'

I nearly drove into a tree.

'André spent the night with you?' I managed to choke. _Please, don't tell me they're dating. Don't tell me I'm falling for my best friend's girl.  
><em>Tori nodded and smiled, oblivious to my discomfort. 'Yeah, he does all the time when my parents and Trina aren't home.'

_Why did that hurt so much? Why does it hurt that they're dating? I'm not in love with her. I. Am. Not. In. Love. With. Her. _

'So . . .' I began, terrified to ask that inevitable question, 'So, are you and André like . . .' I left the suggestion hang in the air between us, knowing she'd know what I meant. 'Oh,' she said, 'No. What? You thought André and I were dating?'

Finally, I pulled into the parking lot and parked the truck. I turned to face her, calling upon my acting skills to hide how much that thought hurt me. 'Well, yeah, kind of. I mean, you two . . . At your place . . . Alone. And you're always hanging out together . . . So . . .'  
>After a moment of silence, she shook her head. 'We're not dating, Beck. André's my best friend, but I'm not in love with him. And you know I love someone else.'<p>

I felt as if my heart soared to the heavens at her words.

She smiled at me and said, 'Shouldn't we go inside?' My heart started pounding again as my nerves played up. _Dang it. _'Yeah,' I sighed, 'I guess we should.'

I got out and waited until Tori got out and walked around the car before locking it.

As we walked into the airport, I let Tori lead me to the spot where Jen's flight would be arriving – I was too busy freaking out over the fact I was actually gonna see Jen again. I hardly even noticed Tori was holding my hand.

Suddenly, she stopped, and I nearly bumped into her. 'We're here, Beck,' She grinned, as I looked confused.  
>'Right,' I managed to say, nerves still wrecking me, 'Yeah. Right.' Tori laughed softly, the clear, tinkling sound snapping me from my haze slightly. 'Aw, you're cute when you're nervous.' I frowned. 'I'm not.'<p>

She grinned. 'Sure thing, Beck. Whatever you say.' And she tiptoed to wrap her arms around me, I felt more shivers and bolts of electricity run down my spine. _God, she's so close.  
><em>I wrapped my arms around her waist, enjoying the rich scent of her perfume. She leaned back a little bit, opening her mouth to say something as our eyes met. And my heart stopped beating.

Neither one of us broke eye contact, and instead of leaning away, I found myself leaning closer, completely losing myself in her swirling, chocolate eyes.  
>My heart and my breathing started racing, and everything seemed to move in slow motion all of a sudden – even us.<p>

Her fingers locked in my hair, pulling my face closer to hers, our breaths mingling, our lips only a hair's breadth apart. And just as my lips were about to connect with hers, she pulled away, pushing me an arm's length back.

'I can't,' she whispered, 'Beck, I can't. Jade . . .' My heart ached at the words.  
>I opened my mouth to say something in reply, but the speakers interrupted me before I could say anything. 'Flight 345 New York to Los Angeles, now arriving at Gate Three.' Tori bit her lip and looked away.<p>

I sighed and silently cursed myself, but turned to look at the corridor leading here from Gate Three; I wondered if I'd still recognize Jen.  
><em>I mean, I really hadn't seen her in years. What if she'd changed so much I wouldn't recognize her? <em>

People started filing through the corridor.

_And what if she wouldn't like seeing me? And what i– _My thoughts were cut short. Jen just walked in. And she looked just like I remembered – just a little bit older and more grown up.  
>And just then did I notice how red and puffy her eyes were, how she frowned, how she clutched onto her bag as if it were her lifeline.<p>

And then she looked up at me. Her eyes met mine. And her frown turned upside down. 'Beck!' She yelled, breaking into a run immediately. Laughing, I wrapped my arms around her as soon as she came within range.

'Jen! It's so great to see you!' I grinned, hugging her tightly. After a very long time, I leaned back from the hug and turned to Tori, pulling Jen forward with one hand.

'Jen, meet one of my best friends. Tori, meet Jen. My sister.'

* * *

><p><strong>Soooo, it's longer :D But the longest chapters are yet to come :D <strong>

**I have to thank you guys, because you left so many sweet and encouraging reviews :D I love you guys, I mean it! You guys have been spoiled with three updates in less than a wekk, but you're gonna have to wait till Friday for the next one, sorry :D Don't want to give away the good stuff just yet xD**

**I know, btw, that I promised an update on MAL, but the chapter just isn't working with me :( I'm so sorry, but I promise an update sometime this week :D **

**S****o, I guess there's nothing more to do than to thank JustSmileBFF again for all of her help, and to thank you guys for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting!**

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	7. Momzilla

**Hi everyone**

**I'm sorry the chapter's a little late, but I was on a holiday, and I had to survive an entire week with really crappy internet connection, and I just couldn't get the chapter up before today :D **

**Anyway, it's not an extremely long one, but I promise, we're getting there :D **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter seven – Momzilla<strong>

**BECK'S POV**

I glanced at Jen, who lay on her back on the front lawn, gazing up at the sky almost numbly. She was refusing to talk to me.  
>Scratch that – she just refused to tell me what happened that had her so upset.<p>

All she'd done since she got here was sit around, staring ahead, seeing nothing. It was almost as if she was in complete and utter shock. She scared the hell out of me though, behaving like this. I'd hoped I could help her with whatever it was that had her running for the Hills, but she just wouldn't tell me.

Luckily for us, dad had reacted rather happy to see his daughter again, setting her up in her old bedroom immediately.  
>None of us had bothered to call mom yet – it was like Jen had said. She probably didn't even know her daughter had run away.<p>

But neither me, nor my dad had been able to get more than a few words out of Jen's mouth.

I sighed heavily. I was really at a complete loss of ideas by now. I had absolutely no idea how to cheer her up anymore. I leaned back in the couch and stared at the ceiling of my RV.

There had to be something I could do. Anything.

As that thought crossed my mind, I heard a car pull up and frowned. I wasn't expecting anyone any time soon.  
>I ran a hand through my hair and opened the door, feeling my skin run hot and cold at the same time as I watched Tori get out of her car.<p>

I hadn't talked to her since the day at the airport, and honestly, I wasn't sure what to say to her either. I mean, 'Hey, I'm so sorry I almost kissed you, despite the fact I know you're in love with me, but hey, can we forget about it?' doesn't really sound good, does it? I didn't even know why I'd tried to kiss her.  
>I snapped myself out of my thoughts. She was here now, I had to deal with this now.<p>

'Tori,' I began, 'hey. What are you doing here?' She smiled at me and ran a hand through her hair. 'Well, actually, I came to see Jen. I thought she might like some girl company.'

I exhaled in relief. That actually made sense. Jen needed girl company. Maybe Tori could snap Jen out of her haze. I nodded. 'Yeah, that's a great idea. Look, she's . . .' I glanced at the lawn, 'She's depressed or down about something, and she won't tell me. Maybe you can help her with whatever it is.'

Tori glanced at Jen and nodded. 'Yeah, sure. I can try.'

She gave me one last quick smile and ran over to Jen, smiling and chatting with her before I had time to blink.

I shook my head. Women . . . They'd always be a mystery to me.

* * *

><p><strong>BECK'S POV – Two days later<strong>

I was texting with Tori when I vaguely heard the phone ring, and then Jen's yell that she'd get it. I smiled.  
>Her mood had greatly improved over the last two days, mostly because she and Tori had been hanging out a lot.<p>

And I do mean a lot. Like yesterday, Tori had showed up here at 8 AM, announcing she was going to take Jen to all her favorite places in LA. They'd been at the beach, the mall, Hollywood Arts, Hollywood Boulevard, simply everywhere. And by the time Jen got home, she looked happier than I had ever seen her look before.

After the first day Tori and Jen had spent together, Jen had been far happier than before, though Tori refused to tell me what had been bothering Jen.  
>She said that Jen would tell me when she felt ready for it. And I didn't even care. As long as she was happy.<p>

And she was.

And all that was because of Tori. I felt my heart flutter as I thought of her. Okay, so maybe I hadn't officially broken up with Jade, and maybe it was a little bit wrong to like Tori this much, but I just couldn't help myself anymore. Every time I saw Tori, I fell a little bit more in love with her, and a little bit more out of love with Jade.

Before I could ponder that thought more, I heard raised voices from the living room. Frowning, I headed for the living room, finding complete chaos. My mother – of course – was screaming at my father over the phone, my dad was yelling back at the top of his voice, and Jen just stood there, silent tears running down her cheeks, her fists clenched.

And the sight of Jen, this hurt, this angry, this . . . Scared, just blew my mind. I wanted to yell and rage, throw something at my mom's stupid head, which I would've, had she not been 3000 miles away.

How can a mother be so selfish and mean to her only daughter? How can she pretend she's a good mother when she hurts Jen like this?

Instead of yelling at my mom, as I really wanted to, I turned to Jen and pulled her into my arms, holding her close as she started sobbing into my shirt.  
>Just when I had gotten her to stop crying every single day, that bitch had to come along and ruin everything.<p>

I focused on in breathing in and out slowly, whispering words of comfort in Jen's ear. I didn't know what my mom had said to her. I didn't know why Jen hadn't just hung up the phone. But I did know this: my mom was going to pay for hurting my baby sister like this.

* * *

><p><strong>A while later<strong>

'And I'm telling you I want my daughter here! With me!' My mom's voice sounded shrill and high-pitched through the speaker. I rolled my eyes, annoyance with my mother already building up inside of me. I don't know why I let her get under my skin like that – I'd been talking to her ten minutes, and I already felt like throwing something across the room.

My dad frowned and sighed. 'I give up,' he said, turning to me again, 'You try.'

I bit my lip and glanced at Jen, who was sitting in an armchair now, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, tear tracks still on her cheeks. She was biting her lip nervously.  
>There was no way in hell I was going to let my crazy mother take her away again. Last time I'd let her do that . . . I sighed, focusing on calming myself before addressing my mother.<p>

_My crazy ass, mean, selfish, bitch of a mother._

I chose to glance at Jen again, feeling slightly comforted when her eyes met mine. I could do this. I was not going to lose Jen a second time. 'Mom,' I started, 'Please calm down.'

'No!' she screeched, 'I will not calm down! I want Jenssen here! Now!' I felt my fists clenching, I forced myself to breathe in and out slowly, attempting to stop every resentful thought, every wronged feeling I had felt towards my mother in the past six years from bubbling up to the surface.

'Mom, please, be reasonable. What kind of a life would you give Jen if you forced her to tour the world with you?' I patted myself on the back. I think I handled that argument neatly. Most unfortunately, my mom seemed to disagree.  
>'Beck, I don't want to hear this. Jenssen is just being a silly little girl. She doesn't know what she wants.'<p>

Jen jumped up and yelled, tears shining in her eyes, 'You told me I was an ungrateful brat and that I should just come along! I'm not your pet!' And I snapped. I just couldn't see Jen this hurt. How dared she call Jen a ungrateful brat? She took my sister from me once, I was never ever going to let her hurt Jen again.

'Stop it!' I yelled at the phone, pouring out all of my pent-up frustration in that one cry. Almost miraculously, my mother's yells and accusations faltered and stopped. 'She's seventeen, mom,' I said, suddenly feeling deadly calm, 'She's allowed to choose where she wants to live. And you bet it's not with you.' At that, I reached for the horn and slammed it back onto the receiver, abruptly cutting off the call.

_Serves her right, _I thought, _If she wanted to be a part of our lives, she should've thought of that a long time ago. _

I felt Jen's gaze rest on my back and turned to her, smiling when she jumped into my arms, hugging me tightly. 'Thanks, big bro,' she whispered.  
>I grinned slightly, my bad mood completely evaporated. 'Anytime, little sis,' I replied, leaning back to see her smile.<p>

Her entire face seemed to light up when she smiled. But I could tell she was still notably upset, even though she tried to hide it.  
>'Jen,' I asked, worry snuggling in the pit of my stomach, 'Do you want me to ask Tori if she can come hang out with us?' Jen bit her lip and shook her head.<br>'No. I just . . . I just want to . . . I don't know. . .' She sighed. 'I left my guitar in New York. D'you think I could borrow yours?' I frowned. 'I didn't know you played the guitar.'

She smiled. 'I'm not that good at it. But it helps to think things through. It's like therapy. Music is like . . .' Her face lit up. 'Music is like the only way I am able to express myself. If I can't say it, I'll use some instrument to play it off.' I almost burst into laughter. She'd just described music the exact same way André might've. I was relieved to think that at least my sister and my best friend would be able to get along.

'Sure, it's in my RV. Go ahead.' She smiled sweetly and headed for the door. Suddenly, she turned around and bit her lip. 'You know,' she started, 'I wouldn't mind if you invited Tori so you could hang out with her. And I wouldn't tell Jade anything about it.'

Before I got the chance to say anything in reply, she left the room, leaving me stunned in surprise. I frowned slightly as I thought about what she had said.  
><em>Was I that obvious? If even Jen could see I liked Tori more than I should?<em>

Sighing, I dropped myself on the couch again, considering Jen's offer.

I really would like to hang out with Tori. Alone. Even though I knew that wasn't a good idea.  
>Finally, I managed to make a decision. If I ever wanted to figure out if what I felt for Tori was real, I had to hang out with her. <em>Right<em>?  
>The only reason I'd be doing that would be because I needed to know. Surely not because I loved seeing her, or because her smile made my heart beat too fast for my own good.<p>

_No, _I thought while pulling my phone from my pocket, _If I asked Tori to hang out, it would be purely to see where we could go. _

Smiling, I texted her, asking if she was doing anything special today, and if she'd like to hang out with us.

Slowly, I made my way out the front door, heading for my RV. I still walked slowly, glancing down at my phone every few seconds, anticipation making my stomach do unnatural back flips.

I opened the door, stopping dead when I heard _the_ most touching music I had ever heard.

As I got in, I watched my sister play my guitar with a certain level of emotion I had never heard before – and I was the one in a school for performing arts.  
>Slowly, an idea formed in my mind. Smirking, I walked outside again, pulling out my phone and dialing the twentieth number in my contact's list.<br>After a few rings, someone finally picked up.

'Hey Helen, it's Beck. . .' I waited for a moment as she tried to remember me. 'Yeah,' I grinned, 'the one with the hair. Listen . . . I need a favor.'

* * *

><p><strong>TORI'S POV (Vega residence)<strong>

As I hesitantly let my fingers slide over the keys, I glanced at André, who was smiling at me, nodding.  
>I played with a bit more confidence now, but as soon as I hit a wrong key, I stopped, frustrated already.<p>

_Why couldn't I just do this? Why did it seem so easy when André did it?_

André laughed softly. 'Tori, it takes more than five minutes to learn how to play the piano.' I sighed and pouted. 'Well, it should only take five minutes.' I turned to him. 'Why are you so good at this?' He grinned and put down his glass of lemonade.  
>'Because I have been practicing for a very, very long time,' he replied, playfully nudging at my arm. 'Now try again,' he said, the smile still on his face.<p>

I sighed. _What was the point? I was never going to get this_.

André seemed to know what I was thinking, because he sighed and softly pushed my hands away, replacing my fingers with his own. Slowly, he played the first notes to Tell Me That You Love Me. I tried to see where he put his fingers and how long he kept the keys pressed down before he moved.

Suddenly he stopped, and gestured at me. 'Your turn,' he said, still smiling. I bit my lip, feeling uncertainty bubble up inside of me again.  
>'What if I can't do it?' I whispered, verbalizing that which I had been so scared of ever since he'd brought up teaching me how to play the piano.<p>

For a short moment, he didn't speak. Then, he slowly pulled me into a hug. 'You can do anything, Tor,' he whispered, 'You just have to try.'  
>Somehow, his presence seemed to calm me, sooth me in a way nothing else had been able to for days. All the tension I had felt since I had almost kissed Beck seemed to just melt away.<p>

I hadn't told André what had happened. He'd freak out and accuse Beck of using me and other things I knew Beck just didn't do.  
>But I needed to know what to do with this. I needed to know how to stay away from Beck, even if it killed me.<p>

Slowly, I pulled back from the hug, biting my lip. André frowned at me. 'What's wrong, Tori?' I sighed softly. I had to tell him.  
>He was my best friend. I needed him to know. I needed him to tell me if feeling this way was wrong.<p>

Dreading his reaction, I looked up into his eyes. 'I have to tell you something,' I started, 'And I don't think you're going to like it.'

* * *

><p><strong>Read &amp; Review!<strong>

**X Annaelle**


	8. Awkward

**This is _the _chapter guys :D Brace yourselves :D **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter eight – Awkward<strong>

**JEN'S POV (Beck's RV)**

I rested my head on a pillow and stared at the ceiling as Beck went on and on and on about that school he was in – you know, Hollywood Arts.  
>Ever since he'd heard me play the guitar, he just wouldn't stop talking about it. But I knew there was no way I was ever going to be even remotely good enough at anything to get in there.<p>

I was just mediocre at playing any instrument, I wasn't an amazing dancer and I wasn't a performer at all. Of course, my brother didn't want to listen to me.  
>He'd been trying to talk me into auditioning for the past three hours.<p>

_But_, as I thought while letting my brother talk, _why would he push me into doing something that would only cause disappointment?_

'Jen,' Beck interrupted my thoughts, sitting down next to me, 'Are you even listening to me?' I sat up and bit my lip, smiling innocently at him. 'Sure, Beck. I just don't think I'll be good enough.' He sighed.  
>'Jen, I have seriously never met anyone with a lower self-esteem than you.' He looked into my eyes, almost as if he was looking for something. 'Why? Why do you keep saying you have no talent?'<p>

I frowned slightly and averted my gaze from his, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Why did I feel like I wasn't talented? How about people always laughing at me when I played any instrument, or when I danced or sang or tried acting? How about my own mother telling me I was a talentless brat?  
>I shook my head and looked at my hands, an ominous feeling of shame spreading throughout my body. 'Because I know I'm not good,' I finally whispered, 'but you're my brother, and you're supposed to tell me that I am and all that, even when I'm not.'<p>

While I said it, I knew I was right. Beck would say anything to make me feel better. Slowly, Beck forced me to look up again, his eyes large and pleading. 'Jen, if I can get anyone else to tell you you're as good as I know you are, then will you believe me?' I bit my lip again.  
>'Beck,' I began, but he refused to let me finish. 'Jen, please. I have never heard anyone play the guitar like you do. Seriously, even André would be stumped. And he's good with instruments.' I glanced up. Both Beck and Tori had been mentioning André a lot, and though I had tried to remember him, I just couldn't add a face to the name. I vaguely remembered Beck's best friend's had been André, so I assumed he was the same André.<p>

I sighed. Beck was not going to stop bugging me about the audition until I'd try. Biting my lip slightly, a plan formed in my head, and I knew exactly how to get him off my case.

'Fine,' I sighed, 'I'll do the audition,' Beck jumped up and cried, 'Yes!'.  
>I smiled internally as I continued, 'But only if you can find me a perfect dance partner.' His face fell slightly, but then he smiled. 'Deal. I'll find you someone perfect to dance with, and then you'll audition, promise?'<br>He looked so happy about it, it just warmed my heart to see my big brother happy like a little kid. 'Promise,' I said, shaking his hand.

At that precise moment, someone – take a wild guess – pounded on the door of the RV, ripping it open precisely three seconds later.  
>And there she was, the wicked witch of the west, my brother's girlfriend. Jade West. She threw me the filthiest look she could manage before turning to Beck. 'We haven't spent any time together this week. We're going on a date tonight.' I raised an eyebrow. <em>Woah, she's got nerve. <em>

Beck threw me a pointed look, and I sighed before getting up. I might be a year younger than Beck, but I knew when to take a hint.  
>I pushed past Jade, accidently-on purpose elbowing her in the stomach as I passed her.<p>

I can't explain why, but I really didn't like Jade. She didn't treat Beck right, she was always rude to Tori too, who I really came to appreciate as a friend, and she acted as if I didn't exist. The only reason I tolerated her was because I knew Beck loved her – for reasons I couldn't possibly begin to comprehend.

I sighed again when I heard raised voices coming from Beck's RV. Shaking my head slightly, I continued to walk back to the house, pondering what I was going to do while Beck was entertaining his girlfriend.  
>I could work on my songs a bit more, but somehow, I didn't really feel like it. I looked up to the sky, seeing there were no rainclouds, no omens of bad weather. I bit my lip.<p>

I hadn't done any kind of exercise since I got here, even though Tori had insisted shopping was really intense exercise. I grinned and headed inside, fully planning on taking the time to go running. I needed the time to think – the call with my mom was still nagging at the back of my mind, and running always helped getting my mind of things, even when making music or dancing didn't.

Once inside my bedroom, I changed into the shorts Tori and I had bought on my second day here, pulled a HA shirt that she had given me over my head and tied my hair up in a ponytail.  
>I hurried outside, already turning on my Pearpod, tuning into the loudest song I could find, breaking into a run as soon as I got outside.<p>

I didn't even bother to close the door behind me.

All I needed was to run. Run as if there was no way back.

Run until I forgot.

* * *

><p><strong>BECK'S POV – Green Meadow Mall<strong>

I smiled at Tori as she and André walked into the mall. Jade had left like five minutes ago, when she figured André was bringing Tori. And honestly, I couldn't bring myself to feel bad about it anymore. She was giving me a really hard time to stay in love with her.

'So,' André said, snapping me out of my thoughts, 'What was the emergency?' I grinned at my best friend as he sat down, but couldn't stop the slight frown from appearing when Tori sat down next to him instead of me.  
>She avoided my gaze, and something told me André was perfectly aware of what had almost happened at the airport.<p>

I sighed, deciding I really needed to talk to Tori later. I didn't want to lose her. 'Dude,' André said, nudging me slightly, 'What is up with you today?'  
>I shook my head slightly, scolding myself for zoning out again. 'Nothing man. I just need your help with something.' Tori frowned. 'Is Jen okay?'<br>André glanced at me. 'Jen's back?' I nodded, answering both their questions. 'Yeah, she back, and she's fine. But I need your help in convincing her she has to audition for Hollywood Arts.'

Tori smiled. 'Oh, that would be so great! Is she good?' André examined my expression before asking, 'Beck, why do you need our help with that?'  
>I sighed. <em>Here comes the hard part. <em>'Look, my mom isn't the best mom there is. Jen won't admit it, but I know my mom somehow convinced her she's talentless.' André bit his lip. 'But she's not?' Tori asked.

I shook my head. 'I walked in on her when she was playing the guitar when she was feeling down and . . .' My voice trailed off at the memory of the music. 'I've never heard anyone play with that level of emotion. Not even you,' I added, nudging André's arm. He smirked. 'So what's the problem?'

I sighed. 'She's absolutely and utterly convinced that she's not good enough. When I asked her if she played other instruments, she gave me like a whole list, but she insists that she's mediocre at playing any of them. And then there's her dancing. That's the only thing of which she believed me when I told her she was good.' I stopped and took a deep breath. 'So she'll audition. But only if I can find her a perfect dance partner.' Tori started smiling and glanced at André. 'So that's where I need your help,' I concluded, still a bit thrown off by Tori's sudden smile.

André frowned. 'So you're thinking we should find someone in Hollywood Arts to help her with the audition?' I nodded, desperately trying to think of someone. 'I'd do it myself, but Jen's dancing skills far exceed mine, so I don't think I'd be of much help.' I sighed.

_This was hopeless. I was never going to find Jen a good dance partner. Well, no one I'd trust anyway._

André frowned, thinking hard, but eventually shook his head. 'No. I can't think of anyone you should trust with Jen.' Tori was still smiling, but frowned at him for a moment. 'You know Jen?' She finally said.  
>André shrugged. 'Kind of. I met her like a few times before Beck's parents got divorced.' Tori bit her lip, apparently deep in thought.<br>André sank back into his thoughts again, probably trying to think of someone to help us with Jen.

I sighed and leaned back, running a hand through my hair. Suddenly, Tori sat up and nudged André. He startled and nearly knocked me off the bench. 'Dang it, Tori', He cursed. 'What?' Tori's smile was now so broad, I was convinced she'd crack her face in half. 'I know who we can ask,' she exclaimed. I let her words sink in for a moment before I realized what she'd said.  
>As the meaning of her words slowly sank in, I couldn't help the feeling of exhilaration taking hold of me as eagerly leaned forward.<p>

'Well, who?' I asked. Tori grinned mischievously and turned to André. 'You,' she said simply.

André raised his eyebrows in surprise, but I soon caught up with Tori's logic. André was a good dancer. And he was my best friend. If there was ever anyone I could trust around my sister, it'd be André.

I felt the amazing feeling of relief spread throughout me. 'Dude, she's right,' I started, 'You could help her! She knows you, and you know her, and I know I can trust you. And not to mention how much you guys have in common!'  
>André seemed to squirm uncomfortably. 'Look guys, I don't think it's such a good idea. It's been years since I last saw Jen, and I haven't danced in like a really long time—'<br>Tori interrupted him before I could, annoyance building up inside of me. 'André! You know you're good enough to help her out. Please? A favor to me?'

As she said that, my vision seemed to tint red. _She wasn't supposed to be that close to him! And why was he looking at her like that?_

With a start, I realized I was jealous. Sickeningly jealous of my best friend. I scolded at myself for feeling like that, reminding myself that I did have a girlfriend, who I loved very much.

When I finally turned my attention back to André and Tori, she seemed to have talked him into it. When he opened his mouth to say something, his Pearphone began to make a lot of noise, and he made a face before answering it.

'Hey grandma. . . No . . . What? No, the mailman is not a cannibal!' He groaned softly and ran a hand through his hair. I smiled slightly. André's grandma used to be a really nice woman, but after her husband's death, like five years ago, she slowly began losing it, until only André was able to calm her down.  
>'Yeah . . . Look, just close the door and I'll be there in fifteen minutes. . . No! Grandma, the other you must be really nice . . .Just introduce yourself.'<p>

Sighing, he hung up, got to his feet and grimaced. 'I gotta go. I'll do it. I'll help Jen. I'll meet you at your place in say,' he glanced at his watch, 'An hour? Make sure she's ready to start right away, because the way things are looking now, I'll be babysitting my grandma tonight.'

I smiled gratefully at him and watched Tori wave him goodbye. As soon as he'd disappeared from my view, I turned to Tori. 'Tori . . . We have to talk about this.' She bit her lip. 'Beck, there's nothing to talk about. Nothing happened. You have Jade.' I grimaced as she said that.  
>'Tori,' I started, but she stopped me, her finger resting on my lips, lightning searing through my body at her touch.<p>

'Beck. Please don't. You know I love you,' she whispered. My heart stopped beating. 'But this can't be. . . And you know that too. I just . . . Can't. So don't bring it up again. Please?' she whispered the final word, pain radiating from every syllable.  
>Pain I was causing her.<p>

And I hated myself for it.

* * *

><p><strong>JEN'S POV – Oliver residence<strong>

Sweat running down my back, I slowed my pace. As my house – for it was my house too now, I realized – came into sight again, I checked my watch.  
>I'd been gone for well over an hour.<p>

Breathing heavily, I stopped running when I reached our driveway. Beck was leaning against his RV, smiling when I reached him. I pulled the earplugs from my ears and smiled back at him. Running had made the heavy load that had seemed to be resting on my shoulders disappear.  
>'Nice run?' Beck asked when I stopped before him, still breathing rather heavily. I nodded and grinned. 'I needed it. Why are you smirking at me like that?' Beck's smile started to scare me. He only smiled like that when he had a plan.<p>

And I didn't like that idea one bit.

'I found you a dance partner,' he said. My stomach dropped to my feet.  
><em>What? Oh chizz! It was supposed to take him ages to find someone! <em>Somehow, I managed to calm down and frowned at him.  
>'How can you be so sure we'll be compatible?' He smiled. 'Because you know him. Remember my friend André?' I frowned a little bit.<p>

He knew I wouldn't remember whoever this André was. All I knew was that he was a friend of Tori and Beck's.

'No. So you asked your best friend to help your sister with an audition?' He smiled smugly. 'Just try to get along with him, Jen. He wants to help you, so let him. He's good.' I tried not to get excited. No matter who Beck had arranged to help me, there was no way I was going to be good enough.  
>There was no need to get my hopes up, only to get them crushed when I didn't get through the audition.<p>

'Okay. Fine. Whatever. When is he going to be here?' Beck checked his watch. 'Well, actually, he should be here any moment.' I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. 'I'll be just a minute. Let me at least wipe the sweat of my face before I meet your famous André.' Beck grinned. 'Sure.'

I managed a smile and headed for the house, running straight into the bathroom to splash cold water in my face.  
>Beck wasn't supposed to find me a perfect dance partner within hours; at least not one I couldn't refuse without a second thought. But I knew this André was Beck's best friend. So it would probably be kind of rude to tell him I didn't want to dance with him.<p>

My skin seemed unnaturally hot, and I could feel the beginnings of an anxiety attack kick in.  
>Slowly, I slid my back down the bathroom door, groaning slowly. <em>How was I going to blow off my brother's best friend without insulting both of them in the process? How was I going to make Beck see I wasn't cut out for the performing arts? How the hell was I going to make him understand I wasn't up for more humiliation and rejection?<em>

I don't know how I did it, but in the end, I managed to calm myself down. I needed to be honest with Beck; I had to tell him I didn't want any of this, and that I didn't think I was good enough for it.

I'd thank this André-guy and tell him I didn't need his help after all.

_Yeah. That's what I am going to do_, I thought when I heard a car pull into the driveway. _I'm going to walk out there and tell Beck that I don't want André to help me and that I don't want to audition for Hollywood Arts._

Running a hand through my hair, I slowly got back to my feet, opened the door and headed outside again. Beck was talking to Tori and someone else, but both Beck and Tori were blocking my view. 'Tori,' I called, waving when she turned around. 'Hey Jen!' she replied, hugging me briefly, 'Let's introduce you to your dance partner, shall we?' She winked at me and I frowned.

She assessed my mood immediately and sent a comforting smile my way. 'Look, I'm the one who suggested to ask him. He's a really nice guy, and I just know you're going to love him.' Something about her words made me feel uncomfortable. 'I thought he was Beck's best friend?' She nodded, still ushering me to where Beck and André-who-was-still-being-blocked-from-my-view were talking, 'Yeah, he is, but he's my best friend too. Trust me,' she said when I apparently kept my unconvinced look, 'You two will get along just fine.'

Before I could protest, we'd reached Beck and André. 'So, André, this is Jen. Jen this is André,' Tori said, and I quickly composed a smile, already preparing to say whatever excuse I could think of to get out of there when Beck took a step back, and my eyes met André's.

And my stomach seemed to drop to my feet. All reason was banned from my mind. This couldn't be happening. This was not happening.  
>The last time I'd gazed upon those eyes . . . I was hardly aware of my mouth falling open, much less of my big brother standing right next to me as I gazed upon the one person I thought I would never see again.<p>

Because standing before me was my worst and best decision ever. The one thing I had loved and regretted at the same time.

Standing before me was the guy that had picked me up at a bar and that had taken my virginity.

Standing before me was my hottest and only one-nightstand. And he was my brothers best friend.

_Holy chizz. I. Am. So. Fucked._

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV<strong>

My mouth was uncomfortably dry, my brain seemed to be fried and I just couldn't remember how to stop staring at Beck's little sister. Who just so happened to be my hot New York one-nightstand.

And I knew I was screwed when I let my eyes travel from her head to her toes. She was wearing some ridiculously short pair of sweats, revealing legs most women would kill for. I could see part of the olive skin of her belly, and I most definitely felt something stir in my pants when I remembered what that skin tasted like, and how it had felt when she wrapped those legs around me. I scolded myself immediately for thinking along those lines again. She was Beck's younger sister, for crying out loud!

A split-second later, I realized she was staring back at me with those haunting molten chocolate eyes, looking just about as ready to sink through the floor as I felt. And then I became increasingly aware of Beck and Tori's presence.

My hands shaking, I held out my hand, hoping she'd take the hint and just play along. 'Hi Jen,' I said, my voice quivering more than it should, 'Nice to see you again. It's been far too long.' For a moment, it seemed as if she was too stunned to react in any way, but then she reached out her own hand and took mine.  
>And the very second her skin came into contact with mine, it was as if lightning sprung up between us, fire running through my veins.<p>

I nearly jumped back at the sudden sensation.

'Nice to see you too, André,' she replied, her voice so damn husky. Just like it had been at the club. I loved how sexily she said my name. My heart started beating far too fast for my own good.  
>And before I could stop myself, I was already thinking about her like that again. Remembering exactly how her lips had tasted, and just how well she knew how to use those on me.<p>

_Dang it, André! _I inwardly yelled. _Stop thinking about her like that! She's your best friend's sister! _

'So,' Beck's voice broke the haze that seemed to have filled my head all of a sudden, 'Shouldn't you guys get started?'  
>I stared at him for a moment. <em>What the hell was he talking about?<em> He hadn't seen the sexual tension that was now building up inside of me, right?

Beck sent me a small smile. 'You know, the dance? I thought you needed to get back to your grandma in time?'  
>With an almighty effort, I managed to focus again. Slightly. 'Right,' I said, my voice sounding rather off, 'Yeah. The dance. Yeah. We should . . .' I pointed nowhere in particular, and I noted Jen's cheeks were flushed too. 'We should get started.'<p>

She nodded feverishly, grabbed my hand again – sending more lightning surging through my body – and pulled me in the direction of the house. 'Yeah, we have to get started right away, see you guys later!' I caught Beck's eye and tried to smile at him, despite the guilt building up inside of me.

He'd told me he wanted me to be her partner because he trusted me, because he thought I'd never try to get in her pants.  
>I swallowed harshly and thanked God that Beck couldn't read my mind. He would've castrated me if he knew all the very erotic and very, very inappropriate things I had been thinking about her.<p>

I totally understood him though. Every guy in Hollywood Arts would try to get in her pants. The only difference between them and me was that I'd already been there.

And right now, I desperately wanted to go back there again.

* * *

><p><strong>Read &amp; Review!<strong>

**X Annaelle**


	9. Break Up

**I know, I know! I'm a horrible person and I deserve to be hanged from the ceiling by my thumbs, but seriously, I have never been this busy before. **

**I have my finals coming up, and I don't have any more prewritten chapters, so I don't know when I'll have the chance to update again. **

**But, for now ...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter nine – Break-up<strong>

**JEN'S POV**

I could feel André's hot gaze rest upon my back, and the simple gesture of dragging him into the house, to the large empty room Beck had suggested as a dance studio, had every hair on my body standing up straight. Touching his smooth, warm skin had tingles dancing throughout my entire body. His hand was warm under my skin. And another bolt of electricity washed through me as I remembered exactly what he could accomplish with those hands.

Waves of passion washed through my body, straight down between my legs, and I had to use every bit of my self-restraint to not give into what my body obviously wanted.

Finally, we got to the make-do dance studio, I pushed him inside, shutting the door quickly, before anyone else would follow us inside.

Sighing, I leaned back against the door, shock still vibrating through my body. I just couldn't believe this was happening. I mean, come on. What were the odds?  
>After a moment of silence, when I was sure I wouldn't throw myself at him, despite the fact I knew my brother would probably kill both of us, I allowed myself to look up at him.<p>

The impact of his eyes hit me and momentarily took my breath away.

_No, Jen, _I thought, _Don't go there. It was a mistake. A stupid, childish, very satisfying, hot mistake. _

'So . . .' He said, his hands buried deep in his pockets, biting his lip sexily. I scolded myself. _He. Does. Not. Look. Sexy.  
><em>'So . . .' I answered, feeling even more uncomfortable than before. 'I didn't know you were Beck's best friend. . .' He sighed. 'I didn't know you were his sister.'  
>I managed a slight smile and pushed myself off the doorframe, walking towards him. 'Did you tell him?'<p>

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. 'No. . .' He hesitated. 'Well . . . I told him about our . . . Um . . .' He swallowed harshly and I felt my own cheeks heat up. 'Yeah, well,' I choked, 'Point taken. . . But you didn't tell him it was me, right?' My throat seemed oddly restricted at the thought of my brother finding out about this. André flashed a smile. 'I didn't even know it was you. You never told me your name, remember, J?'

I rolled my eyes slightly. 'I couldn't just leave you with nothing,' I said softly, feeling slightly stupid under his gaze.  
>He laughed. 'I never said I didn't like it. Though it might've been nicer if you'd stayed until the next morning.' I blushed deeper and looked down, until I felt his finger under my chin, softly forcing me to look up. 'Look, I get that you were kind of embarrassed. . . You didn't know me, I didn't know you and we slept together.'<p>

I sighed, trying to stop myself from losing myself in his eyes. 'Can we just start over? I mean, we were drunk. Both of us. It was a mistake. Right?' I asked, hoping the question wouldn't offend him.  
>He seemed like a really nice guy, and I'm sure we'd get along if we'd get past this . . . Awkwardness.<p>

His pink tongue momentarily appeared as he licked his lips in deep thought. My lips pursed at the inappropriate thoughts that immediately formed in my head. But he looked so damn sexy licking his extremely kissable lips.  
><em>No! JEN! STOP IT! Don't think about him like that! <em>'Sure,' he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. 'Yeah. We can totally start over.'

He smiled and held out his hand. Smiling at the gesture, I placed my hand in his. 'Hi, I'm Jen. Nice to meet you.' André's smile grew slightly.

'Hi. I'm André. Nice to meet you too.'

* * *

><p><strong>BECK'S POV<strong>

I rolled my eyes at Tori when Jade stomped over to us. I didn't mean to, I really didn't, but I just couldn't help myself. Jade looked so ridiculous. I mean, if this were a cartoon, I'm pretty sure there'd be smoke emerging from her ears.

'What are you doing with _that_?' She spat, pointing at Tori. Tori rolled her eyes slightly in response. 'I think I'll go see how André and Jen are doing,' she said, crossing her arms over her chest and heading in the direction of my house.  
>I followed her with my eyes for the shortest moment—sadly, the moment wasn't short enough. Jade noticed.<p>

'And now you're checking her out!' she yelled. Silently cursing myself for letting Tori get to me like that again—in front of Jade—I turned back to her. 'No,' I started, reaching for her hand, 'Baby, no, I wasn't checking her out. Come on, I thought you were past the jealousy thing with Tori.'  
>Conveniently, I managed to leave out the part where she actually had good cause to be jealous of Tori.<p>

She ripped her hand from mine and scowled. 'Sure. Make this about me again! I'm not the problem here! You are!' I sighed. 'Jade—' she didn't let me finish. 'No. Beck, I'm sick of this! Choose. Either you have Vega as your friend, or you don't. But if you do want her as your friend, we're over. I don't want you to be anywhere near that Barbie doll.'

I don't know how or why happened, but it did. I don't know if it was her lack of trust in me, her insults to Tori, or something that had been brooding for far longer than that. Something inside of me snapped.  
>I just couldn't anymore. I couldn't pretend that everything was okay. I couldn't pretend nothing had changed – because everything had changed.<p>

I had changed. I refused to push whatever it was I felt for Tori away.

'Fine!' I yelled back, 'Then we're over! I'd rather have a friend like Tori, who actually appreciates me, than a freaky witch of a girlfriend like you!' Jade stared at me for a moment, her mouth hanging open slightly.  
>Even I was surprised at my words for a second. But I never regretted them for a single moment.<p>

I watched her expression change from disbelief to anger, to sadness.

Without another word, she turned around and stomped away. And then it hit me.  
><em>I just broke up with Jade. I broke up with her. I actually did it. <em>

I felt strangely numb. We were over. Over.  
>The word seemed to echo in my mind, over and over again, leaving my head pounding.<p>

I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe.

I'd been with Jade for almost four years. I didn't know what it was like to be without her. Was this going to tear us apart?  
>And André and Robbie and Cat and Tori. . . What would they think? Tori . . . Her name swam through my head, numbing everything else until only one thought remained.<p>

_I need to tell her. I have to tell her about Jade._

I tried to walk – but somehow, it wasn't really as easy as it used to be. And at that point – I was stumbling around stupidly, not really knowing where I was going – I heard someone call out my name.  
>'Beck? Oh my God, Beck, what's wrong?' I heard several hurried footsteps coming my way, before someone's arms were around me. As I took a deep breath, I recognized the faint scent of my sister's perfume.<p>

'What's wrong with him?' Another voice inquired, also female. This voice made my heart do a back-flip. _Tori. . . Tori. . . _

'Jade,' I choked, 'Jade. . .' Jen forced me to look up at her. 'Beck, what about her?'

'We broke up,' I whispered, the words tumbling over my lips awkwardly. Jen's mouth opened slightly in shock. 'What did she do?' She inquired further, her expression slowly changing, her eyes narrowing.  
>I shook my head. She was angry. But nothing had happened. She should be happy. I should be.<p>

But I just couldn't think. It was impossible.

I was vaguely aware of Tori's voice. 'Jen, why don't you go back inside? You and André have to work on the choreography anyway. I'll stay with him.'

My heart started beating faster when the meaning of her words would be sinking in. I'd be all alone with Tori.

Perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>TORI'S POV<strong>

I grinned slightly, watching Jen drag André over to the house. I knew they'd like each other.  
>As I turned around to Beck, I noticed he'd been staring too. Though, unlike me, he didn't seem all too happy about how quickly Jen and André seemed to have bonded.<p>

I frowned. Beck was usually all laid-back. Why would he be upset?

Before either of us got to say anything though, Jade's car rolled into the driveway. My heart sank slightly. That was it then. No sweet words or talking about what happened today.

Not that I really wanted to – God, no. I wanted to avoid the almost-kiss as much as possible, but I knew that, if I wanted to keep Beck as a friend, which I really did, we should probably talk about it.

That being said, I tried to focus and watched as Jade got out of the car, seemingly already pissed. She stomped over to us, and though I was nervous, I wasn't scared of her anymore.  
>Beck rolled his eyes slightly, and I had to struggle to contain the stupid girlish giggle that threatened to burst from my lips.<p>

Beck just looked too damn adorable with the sexy smirk on his face as he waited for Jade to reach us. 'What are you doing with _that_?' She spat, pointing at me. I tried not to, but I just couldn't help rolling my eyes in response.  
>Jade was never going to let the fact that I liked Beck go. Even if Beck wasn't responding to my feelings, I realized with a sharp jab to my heart.<p>

To escape the awkwardness that seemed to have settled over us, I crossed my arms and said, 'I think I'll go see how André and Jen are doing.' Adding deed to my words, I turned around and headed in the same direction I'd seen André and Jen disappear to.  
>Before I could reach the door though, I heard Jade yell out, 'And now you're checking her out!' A blush immediately forming on my cheeks, I turned around only to be confronted with Beck standing too close to Jade for me to be comfortable, holding her hand, whispering something in her ear sweetly.<p>

And though I could not hear the words that were being spoken, the image alone was enough to break my already broken heart into a million tiny pieces.

Swallowing back my tears, I pushed the kitchen door open, following my ears to where André and Jen were arguing over something. I frowned slightly and opened the large double doors, revealing André and Jen standing opposite each other, yelling at each other. Instead of intervening, I leaned against the door, grinning.

Their banter was playful and light, even though were clearly in a firm disagreement about something. 'How can you even think that? It should be a crime!' Jen yelled, glaring at André, who was rolling his eyes. 'It was the simple statement of a fact. There's no doubt. You're just wrong.'

At that moment, they finally seemed to notice me, effectively ending their banter. I smiled. 'So this is what you two call dancing?'

Jen smirked and André laughed softly. 'No,' she answered, plopping down on one of the large pillows in the corner, 'we just got side-tracked.'  
>I giggled at André's scowl.<p>

'Side-tracked?'

Jen pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. 'Well. . . Yeah. It's important.' André nodded vigorously and dropped himself on the pillow next to Jen, who nudged him with her elbow, a playful smile gracing her lips.  
>I couldn't hide a grin. I'd been right. They were going to be best friends in no time, mark my words.<p>

'So what was the big problem?'

I watched, highly amused, as they exchanged a glance before Jen said, 'He thinks writing song lyrics before you have the music is stupid.' I smirked as she glared at him. 'I _always_ write the lyrics before I do the music.' André rolled his eyes at let her drag him right back into the argument. 'How can you know if the lyrics are right when you have no music to put them to? It's stupid!'

I let them bicker for a moment, walking over to the window, wondering if Jade was still here.  
>Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that hit me as I looked outside. Beck had his hands shoved in his pockets, looking at Jade – who had an expression of utter disbelief on her face. I had seen Jade look that emotional once – just once.<p>

The last time she and Beck broke up. My heart nearly stopped beating in shock. No way. Would they –

I stopped right there. Jade had just turned and walked away. She actually walked away. And she wasn't even looking back.  
>And that's where I lost every interest in what Jade was doing. Glancing down again, I noted how Beck seemed to be frozen on the driveway. Even from this distance, I could tell he was upset.<p>

Slowly, worry found its way to the pit of my stomach, and before I could stop myself, I'd interrupted André and Jen mid-rant and sprinted outside, hoping Beck was okay. I vaguely wondered what Jade had said to him to get him this upset.

Jen caught up with me in the kitchen, and I heard André stumble down the stairs behind us. 'Beck?' Jen called as she ran outside to her brother, 'Beck, what's wrong?' My worry only increased when I noticed how glazed his eyes were. He was so far beyond upset.

'What's wrong with him?' I asked, finally reaching Jen and Beck. Jen shook her head, clearly at a loss of words. Beck's voice interrupted us, and I glanced at him, hoping he'd snapped out of it.

'Jade...' he croaked, 'Jade..' Jen nearly growled and spat, 'Beck, what about her?'  
>Beck glanced up at his sister and whispered, 'We broke up.' My heart seemed to jump, dancing a ridiculous happy dance, but Beck's expression tempered my elation. He was so upset.<p>

I exchanged a glance with André, who seemed slightly uncomfortable at his best friend's behaviour. I looked back at Jen, who had forced Beck to look up at her. 'What did she do?' Jen inquired, her eyes boring into Beck's. Beck blinked confusedly, and just shook his head.

She opened her mouth to ask more, but I could tell that Beck had just about reached his limit. Stepping forward, I reached for Jen's shoulder. 'Jen, why don't you go back inside? You and André have to work on the choreography anyway. I'll stay with him.' She looked up at me for a moment before nodding slowly, getting up and following André back inside.

Slowly, I turned to Beck. I was nervous. He was looking at me in a way that made my heart beat far too fast for its own good.

'Come on,' I finally muttered, grabbing his arm, 'We should at least go inside. I think your sister might kill me if I let you stay here.'  
>To my utmost surprise, he actually chuckled. 'I'm sorry,' he whispered, his breath tickling my neck – goose bumps sprung up all over my body – 'I just lost it for a moment.'<p>

I glanced at him, realizing I was still holding his hand as he led me towards his RV. He looked okay – as far as anyone could look okay after breaking up with their three-year-girlfriend.

'Do you regret it?' I know I did, the moment the words left my mouth. He stopped and stared at me – and there was something in his eyes I just couldn't place.

And then a smile broke through on his features and before I even realized what was happening, his arms were around me, and his lips were on mine.

And all I could think, the only thought my mind allowed, before I completely shut down and responded to his kiss with equal passion, was 'Oh. This feels pretty good.'

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – Eleven PM<strong>

Jen was fun. She'd been a good laugh, once we'd managed to get past the whole one-nightstand ordeal. I honestly didn't even want to think about what Beck would say – much less do – to me if he ever found out.  
>Then again, I thought with a smirk, he'd been pretty preoccupied with Tori, after I'd managed to get Jen back into the house.<p>

Jen… She was really pretty – and that was as far as I let myself think – I knew the thoughts that would come up would those that would cause naught but trouble for me, Jen, Beck and everyone else.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the doorbell. Frowning, I wondered who the hell would come calling at this time of night. Again, the doorbell rang, and again and again.  
>I jumped up and ran for the door. 'I'm coming, I'm coming,' I called, snatching the key off the cupboard and opening the door.<p>

As I opened it, I felt my mouth fall open. I didn't expect _her_.

'Jade?' I exclaimed, 'What are you doing here?' I noted her makeup had run slightly, and how she was biting her lip nervously. 'Beck broke up with me,' she whispered. Hardly able to think straight, I allowed her in. 'Why?' I asked, feeling somehow obligated to talk to her, as I sat down on my couch again.  
>She sat down next to me, causing my heart to flutter slightly. Slowly, I allowed myself to look at her, almost startling at her proximity.<p>

'André,' she whispered, her eyes locking with mine. 'I don't want to talk.' Before I could ask what she meant, she pressed her lips against mine – and I stopped thinking.

I just . . . Reacted.

The kiss started out really slow, but my imminent need for more soon took over, and she didn't protest as I smoothly slid my tongue in her mouth.  
>She moaned softly, twisting her fingers in my hair, pulling me closer. I felt my jeans grow tighter at her touch.<p>

_Damn it, André! _My mind yelled. _Don't do this! You're going to regret this! Stop it! Now! Before_—

But I couldn't think anymore—all I knew was that I needed her kisses, her touch. I continued kissing her passionately, even feverishly, slipping my hand in her hair, changing the angle to the kiss. She was all too eager in returning my kiss, her tongue wrestling mine, her hands wandering my chest. She stopped at the hem of my shirt for a split-second, before slipping her hands under my shirt, tracing my abs, sending electricity coursing through my veins.

Her closeness caused fire to surge through my veins, and I found my free hand sliding down, softly caressing her thigh. 'Fuck,' she breathed, 'André. . .'  
>I loved how she whispered my name, even though my head was still screaming at my body, begging me to stop this before I went too far.<p>

But I couldn't—the girl I had been madly in love with for the past year came running to me, practically begging me to kiss her—I'd be mad to say no now, even if it didn't feel as insanely great as I imagined it would. I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, this was wrong.  
>But instead of breaking off the kiss—as I knew, deep down, I should've—I found myself lifting her slightly, arranging her on my lap. The move caused her sex to be pressed intimately against me, and I knew she could probably feel how much I really wanted her, but I just couldn't care anymore.<p>

The way her tongue moved against mine did things to me I couldn't even begin to comprehend—things that made me lose control. My skin burning, my head swimming in desire, I let my hand slide up to her breast, softly caressing and massaging it through her shirt.  
>She moaned into my mouth, pulling my hair slightly; the sound of it had my hips move on their own accord, thrusting upwards. She began to roll her hips against me, setting me on fire in a million ways.<p>

'André,' she moaned between the kisses, 'don't stop . . . Make love to me. . . Even if it's just for tonight. . . Love me.'

* * *

><p><strong>Read &amp; Review!<strong>

**X Annaelle**


	10. Off Limits

**Updates for HBA and MAL are soon to be expected! **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter ten - Off limits<strong>

**One week later - Jen's POV**

My breathing was heavy and labored by the time we allowed ourselves to rest for the first time since we'd started, three hours ago.  
>Do not mistake my exhaustion for complaining. No, I was nothing but pleased at our hard work – André proved to be my perfect dance partner in every way. And that annoyed me to no end.<p>

Of course, I loved that I had finally found someone to relate to, someone who shared my opinions and passions when it came to art, music, dancing and movies.

I loved that I didn't even need to explain certain aspects of my choreography to him – he just understood. No one had ever understood my line of thinking before, and so I had always assumed it was I that was in the wrong. And yet, here André was, claiming my reasoning made perfect sense.

It confused me though. We met a mere two weeks ago – officially anyway – and yet, it often felt as though we had known each other for years.  
>Being around him, talking to him, carrying on our 'silly banter' as Tori had come to call it, felt almost like falling into old habits. Habits that had never existed before I met André Harris.<p>

I enjoyed spending time with him, simply because it was _easy_. I didn't have to think too hard about what to do or say, because he would honestly listen to whatever I wanted to say.

He made me feel things I had never thought possible. Things I should never feel for _him_, my brothers best friend. He made me blush every time he paid me a compliment – which he did far too often… It was not as though I actually deserved the compliments. I laughed and giggled when he was around, and I could actually allow myself to do so, without wondering if I was being stupid.

He made my heart flutter in my chest when he chuckled at something I said, which was a stupid, teenage girl thing to do – something I swore I would never do – and yet, he made me do it without even trying!

The thing that frustrated me the most… That haunted me every single time his skin touched mine… Was that he was utterly, completely, annoyingly, blissfully unaware of the effects he had on my teenage-hormone-driven body. And even though I'd been there, done that – I just _couldn't_ go back. Even if I really, really, _really_ wanted to.

I was snapped from my reverie as André passed me a bottle of water, which I gratefully took. I would not admit it, but I was extremely hot and bothered by now. We'd been practicing more… Sensual, Latin dancing for the past few days, and somehow, it had the electric tension between the both of us soaring to unknown heights.

I did not try to fool myself into believing he might even remotely feel the same attraction towards me – I was not stupid. He was almost nineteen and I was barely seventeen. He was considered a grown-up, whereas I was not much more than a teenager. Add to that that I was his best friends younger sister and you'd come to the same heart-wrenching conclusion I had.

Why on earth would he want me? All I would do was cause trouble for him.

And that was the reason I kept reminding myself that André Harris was absolutely, completely and utterly off-limits.  
>And so I found myself ignoring the reaction my body seemed to have whenever he touched me, the incessant butterflies in my belly at the mere thought of him and the electricity that sparked between us every time we danced.<p>

'You know,' I muttered thoughtfully, slowly sipping from the deliciously cold beverage, 'You're a lot better at dancing when you're sober.' André smirked and rolled his eyes. 'You were too drunk to remember anything. Much less to do _anything_ properly.' I narrowed my eyes at him, a blush forming on my cheeks.

That was _far_ below the belt. If he got to play dirty, so did I. 'I don't remember you complaining,' I shot back, biting back a smile as he seemed unable to form a response for a few moments.

I burst out laughing at his expression, satisfaction over the fact that I had won this round growing swiftly. The silly bantering and the innuendos were a solid part of our semi-friendship. It was fun, and he never failed to make me laugh, which was something I could only appreciate greatly.

Honestly, I could easily imagine being friends with André, without my brothers interference. He was nice, laid-back and sweet. And he was one hell of a dancer. Though I'd been sure I wasn't nearly as good as he was, he'd spent two days convincing me otherwise.

And though I still found it hard to believe – and why wouldn't I? I'd never been told I _was_, in fact, good – I was slowly starting to see that maybe, just maybe, André was right. Maybe I was a really good dancer. Maybe my mother hadn't been right after all. She had been wrong about so many things before. Why wouldn't she have been wrong about this?

It was a thought that gave me hope. Maybe people really did think I was good at this.

He smiled too, but avoided eye contact. I knew that was because he still felt rather uncomfortable after our little tryst back in New York, and I honestly couldn't blame him. I knew looking into his eyes for too long would be dangerous, so I avoided it altogether.

We both did.

The comfortable silence that had fallen as we rested was broken by his ringtone. He pulled out his phone and rolled his eyes. 'Tori's texting with your brother's phone again,' he informed me, and I felt a soft smile tug at my lips. After Beck had broken up with Jade last week, it seemed he had wasted no time in making a move with Tori.

Not that I had any protests anyway – I really liked Tori, and I had never seen Beck look happier before. Tori brought out the softer, sweeter side in him, the side Jade had detested.

'How long do you think it'll take before they finally become exclusive?' I asked, twirling a lock of hair on my finger. André shrugged. 'I don't know. Tori's been into Beck for ages, and I know he liked her too, but I'm not sure if he's over Jade.'

I felt defensiveness well up inside of me and tossed a pillow at André's head. He knew as well as I did that Beck would never use Tori as a rebound. 'Dude! Don't say things like that about my brother!'

To my utter dismay, he caught the pillow and smiled calmly. 'I'm not saying that Beck is using Tori as a rebound. I know he wouldn't do that. It's just…' He hesitated, and though I still felt the direct need to defend my brother, I shut up for a moment, curious to hear what his best friend thought about the situation. '… I don't know if Beck has fully realized what Tori means to him. He's jumping from one relationship into another, and I'm just worried that he's not thinking things through.'

Slowly, as I mulled over his words, I nodded. Perhaps he did have a point. But then, they were just casually dating for now. Of course, anyone with eyes could see that they were absolutely head over heels for each other, and I was sure it wouldn't take all too long before my brother decided to ask Tori to be his girlfriend, exclusively.

André's phone beeped again, disrupting our conversation. He quickly read the message, a smile spreading across his features. My heart sped up when he looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine for a short moment. 'They're almost back here. They brought us FroYo.'

My eyes widened and I let a cry of relief escape my lips; all other thoughts were quickly banned from my mind. 'I swear, my brother can read thoughts! I've been dying for FroYo ever since he took me out to get some last week.' André laughed, and the deep sound sent a shiver down my spine as my eyes met his again.

The intensity of the moment built up, and I swore I saw his eyes darken with desire. I felt my own body react to his heated stare, my belly clenching in desire, arousal slamming through me at full force. I just couldn't tear my gaze from his, and though I was highly aware of my mind screaming at my body that it was wrong, I just couldn't bring myself to look away from him.

How the hell was I supposed to stay away from him when he looked at me like that? How was I supposed to ignore the way my skin tingled wherever he touched me?

The intensity of the moment was suddenly broken as our phones both beeped simultaneously. I jumped, my heart still racing, and broke eye contact instantly, reminding myself yet again that he was 100% off-limits.

'So,' André began, after an awkward moment of silence, 'You think you're going to get it right?' I frowned. 'Get what right?' He shrugged and got up again, stretching and pacing through the room. 'Well,' he smirked, 'The audition. I mean, seriously, you're good. You're going to wow the entire jury.. So why are you postponing it all the time?'

I shrugged and bit my lip. I was not going to lay down my feelings on the floor, bare for him to see when I barely even knew him. Okay, so maybe I already slept with him when I didn't even know his name, but that didn't count. There was just so much more to this. So many things I couldn't tell him. Things I didn't want to think about because they hurt far too much to consider.

I shrugged. 'I don't really want to talk about this, André,' I replied softly, avoiding his gaze. I felt at ease with him, more than I cared to admit, but I couldn't burden him with my misery. My mother was right – I had to stop being selfish and lay my problems on everyone else.

Before I really realized what was going on, André had kneeled before me, his hands cupping my cheeks. My skin burned where he touched me, and though I tried not to, he forced me to look up into his eyes. An electric current seemed to shock its way through my body.

Holy shit.

It wasn't supposed to feel like this. He was so off limits! Why was he so close? Gosh, he smelled good. I snapped myself out of it. I had to stop thinking about him like that.

'Jen,' he began, 'You know you can trust me. You can talk to me. Why won't you?'

For a moment, I actually considered lowering my barriers and letting him in – but I discarded that thought rather quickly. We were just becoming friends. If I told him the real reasons I didn't want to audition, he would surely think I was pathetic and want nothing more to do with me. Somehow, for a reason I didn't really get, having him as my friend felt really important. I didn't want to risk that.

I bit my lip and tore my gaze from his, the intensity of the connection just too much at that moment. I had to think of an excuse, and I had to do it fast. 'Look, André, I just…' I hesitated. Maybe I could tell him part of the truth… The part that wasn't all that pathetic.

'My mom is a dancer and a singer in this band in New York… She's pretty famous in the business.' I blushed and looked up. 'Why do you think I was able to get into that club? I'm seventeen, André, I really wasn't supposed to be in there.' He chuckled. 'I wasn't complaining.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Of course you weren't. But that's not the point. I just… I know people have certain _expectations_ of me, being my mother's daughter and Beck's younger sister… I just don't want to live up to anyone's expectations, and if I audition and don't get in…' I sighed. How was I going to make him see what I was trying to say?

'Jen,' he whispered, slowly forcing me to look in his eyes again – he had to stop doing that –, 'Trust me when I say that you're really good. And,' he smiled, 'You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations. You're an artist, Jen. The only person you need to satisfy is you. Not me, not your mom, not Beck. Just you.'

Slowly, I felt a smile spread across my lips. That was the main reason I liked André. He always knew what to say to make me feel better, even if I hadn't told him the whole reason of my slight insecurity.

'Okay,' I whispered, 'Okay… Maybe you're right.' He smirked, jumped to his feet and offered me a hand. 'Of course I'm right. Now let's try the routine one more time before your brother and my best friend interrupt us and make sure we won't get anything else done for the rest of the day.'

I chuckled. He was right – as soon as Beck and Tori got here, we'd never get to the actual dancing part. I let him pull me to my feet and turned to the huge stereo my brother had set up in here.  
>'So,' he said, 'Did you think about the freestyle part of the audition?' I bit my lip. I had thought about it, but I really didn't think it was all that impressive. I knew that I had to be explosively good when auditioning, and I didn't quite feel that confident yet.<p>

'I did,' I admitted, stretching my arms behind my back, 'but I don't think it's quite go–' André cut me off with a smile. 'There you go again, saying you're not good enough. Trust me, okay? You're a lot better than some people at Hollywood Arts.' I grinned.

'Okay,' he said, 'Show me what you got.' I grinned and hit the 'play'-button. 'You got it,' I replied, smirking at him.

* * *

><p><strong>André's POV – An hour later<strong>

I smirked as I watched Jen and Tori joke and laugh at Beck's expense. Tori and Beck had been hanging out _a lot_ lately, and I was pretty sure it was only a matter of time before they'd become exclusive. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I mean, okay, I was happy that my best friends both seemed to be deliriously happy, but it did kind of put me in a weird spot.

Jade had been rather… Present in my private life lately. I know I should be more excited about the fact that I got the girl I wanted and Tori got the guy she wanted, but something still felt off.  
>I hadn't really told anyone about me and Jade because honestly, I didn't know what to say.<p>

It wasn't nearly what I had thought it would be. She wouldn't even talk to me some days, and all we really did was have sex. Jeez… There's something I never thought I'd say.

I winced. I so wasn't that guy. What the hell was wrong with me?

And then there was Jen. That was even worse. I couldn't feel the things I felt for her. She was Beck's younger sister, it was just plain wrong; there's nothing else to say for it. But the way she made me feel when we danced, or just hung out when Beck and Tori were slightly caught up in each other…

I shook my head.

No.

I wasn't going there. She was off-limits. I loved Jade. I was going to try and make things work with Jade. Somehow, I'd make it work.  
>She was just not completely over the break-up, that had to be it. I had to mean more to her than just rebound sex; right?<p>

I snapped from my thoughts as Tori tripped and somehow ended up falling into my lap, with Beck glaring at her. I burst into laughter – I couldn't believe Beck was still kind of jealous of how close Tori and I were. I winced at the thought of what he'd do to me if he figured out I'd slept with Jen.

'Come on, Tor,' I groaned, pushing her up, 'You're crushing me.' She giggled and pushed at my chest. 'Don't be stupid.' Jen laughed along with her and said, 'Where's your big mouth now, bad boy?' I rolled my eyes and helped Tori up, who ran straight into Beck's arms.

I winced at the sight of them quickly losing themselves in a steamy make-out session. I was okay with them dating and everything – that didn't mean I actually wanted to see it.  
>'Ewe, Beck!' Jen exclaimed, 'Get a room, you two!' I beamed at her and smirked when Tori glared at me.<p>

'Okay, okay,' I cried, jumping up with my hands, 'I can take a hint. Come on, Jen, I'll buy you a burger or something. Let's leave the lovebirds to it.' Jen laughed when Tori scowled at me and Beck winked.

Tori rolled her eyes at me before turning her attention back to Beck. I felt a tiny pang of jealousy at the intimate gaze they shared. If they could have it, if Beck could allow himself to love Tori so soon, why couldn't Jade and I do the same? Why did she feel as distant as she had before she started sleeping with me?

I shook off my thoughts again. I was being stupid. I needed to give her time. I needed to be supportive. Of course she was upset over losing Beck.  
>They'd been together for ages. I couldn't expect her to just move on without looking back. Tori told me that Beck sometimes felt guilty for acting upon his feelings for her so soon too. Maybe that was it.<p>

It had to be it. She was just feeling guilty towards Beck for moving on to his best friend. I winced involuntarily. I was a horrible best friend to Beck. I had slept with his ex-girlfriend and taken his sisters virginity. If he ever figured this out, he'd murder me in my sleep.

Jen poked me, effectively snapping me from my doom-thinking. She winked and nodded at the door. 'Come on Harris,' she smiled, 'I distinctly remember you promised me a burger or something.'

I grinned at her expression when she shot a glance at her brother and Tori. 'Sure. Or something. Come on. See you later, Tor.'

* * *

><p><strong>The next day – Hollywood Arts – André's POV<strong>

I sighed and leaned back against my locker. I never would've thought I would actually hate school – but I was getting far too close for my liking today.  
>I was having a really, <em>really<em> bad day.

The Wood – they had started filming here again – had found out I was helping Beck's younger sister with her audition, so they insisted on being present for the audition. It pissed me off to no ends, knowing that Jen would feel even more pressured now – she was already scared of getting up on stage and showing them what she got – if she figured out it would be filmed, she'd never do it.

On top of that, Beck and Tori had been caught kissing on camera too; Tori was freaking out over it. She and Beck hadn't really discussed their 'relationship' yet; she had told me they were taking it one day at the time.  
>Of course, Beck and Jade's break-up being smeared out by The Wood wasn't really helping anything.<p>

I hadn't seen Jade yet – and honestly, I did not quite feel like it either. I was not sure what I was to say to her, what she wanted me to do.  
>I sighed and scolded myself. I knew <em>exactly<em> what she wanted me to do, but somehow, after spending another entire day with Jen yesterday, I was reminded of the things I had always wanted.

And what Jade and I had… It just didn't feel like that anymore.

And that hurt. I had spun myself a fantasy of how things would be if I would be together with Jade – Sure, she might be rude every now and then, and she would still be Jade, but she would have loved me nonetheless. Somehow, it did not feel like she cared about me at all right now.

And I just didn't know what to do with that. I could fight for her – I _would_, and I _should_ – but I didn't want to fight a battle that was already lost.  
>If she still loved Beck, it would be useless for me to actually try to get her to love me instead.<p>

And then there was Jen… Jenssen, who made me feel things I was absolutely not allowed to feel at all. I did not try to fool myself into believing she might actually be as affected by my presence as I was by hers – that would be a ridiculous assumption – but sometimes, when our eyes did happen to meet, I could swear she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

I shook my head again, slapping my cheek, trying to alleviate the feeling of impending doom that haunted me.  
>I got up and headed for the only room in Hollywood Arts that would help me feel better right now.<p>

Where I did the thing I always did when I was confused and upset.

I set out for the music room and started writing.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know... It's been ages... And I'm a very naughty writer for leaving you guys waiting for so long... But hey, I graduated high school, I finished my internship and I succeeded in actually sleeping at night :D What more could a girl ask for?<strong>

**Anyway, I don't know when my next update will be, but I can promise you guys that the story kicks into gear after next chapter. **

**And just because I love you guys so much, I'll lift the tip of the veil: Jen finally auditions... André makes a very important decision concerning his and Jade's 'relationship' and tensions between two certain characters are going to boil over... **

**Sit tight! I loved your reviews for the last chapter, and I'm so thrilled that you guys are still with me! *throws cookies* **

**So, I hope you liked it :D **

**I'll try to update soon! ****I love you guys! **

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	11. Auditions

**Thanks to JustSmileBFF for all her help on the chapter! **

**Henrike, I love you, girl! Thank you!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter eleven - Auditions<strong>

**Jen's POV - Audition Day**

I was sure my heart was going to be beating out of my chest. Why did I let them talk me into this again? The anticipation was going to kill me. I would die from heart-failure due to nerves before I'd even get to audition!

'Oh God,' I cursed, jumping up and sprinting for the door, 'I can't do this! What the hell was I thinking?' I felt three pairs of hands grab me and cursed under my breath.

Damn it.

I nearly got away.

Choruses of 'Jen, don't be stupid,' and 'You can do this,' and 'You've been practicing for weeks, you'll rock them,' were exclaimed, echoing in the small waiting room, all jumbling together in a blurred sentence I did not even fully hear.

Nor did I really want to hear it—I was too nervous to care what they were all saying; I was so far gone, I wasn't even sure who all was here.

I was pretty sure my brother and Tori were here, I knew André was here—I could feel my skin burning where he had touched me—and judging by the noise in here, I guessed Cat was here too. I did not really know her—I had only met her once, but I appreciated the support.

God knows, I'd need it.

I groaned softly and sank down in the chair once again, staring blankly at my feet. My stomach seemed to be tied in knots and my heart was pounding in my throat.

I hated this feeling.

I was going to die for sure—I hated being so nervous—the anxiety attacks that came along with it really were a bitch. I didn't even want to think about the irony—I came from a family of performers, artists and writers—and I was the one with stage fright.

Usually, I started hyperventilating at the mere thought. I was actually kind of proud of myself for remaining so calm right now. Even though I felt as though I could just crawl out of my skin and scream in frustration, it was a better reaction than I usually had.

I tried to focus on one thing in the room to calm myself—a failed and feeble attempt to distract myself from the upcoming audition.  
>Though, to be honest, everything I had done in the past three days had been about the audition; Tori had practically dragged me to the mall to get me an outfit, André had wanted to go over the choreography almost daily, and Beck had been there when I cried and yelled in frustration.<p>

Which was pretty much what I really wanted to do right now. God, I was dying. I just wanted to get this over with.

I really didn't want to think about the disappointment on my brother's face—or worse, on André's face—when I didn't get in.  
>I mean, sure, I was okay at the dancing thing. I knew that—but today was partly my dancing audition, and partly musical. I had to show off my limited skills on an instrument of my choice.<p>

That was one part I was not looking forward to.

'Jen?'

My brother's hesitant voice snapped me from my haze, and I managed to focus on him for long enough to actually stop thinking about the audition for a moment. He smiled and squeezed my hand.

'You're next. We're going to take our seats.' His words only slowly registered, and I was not sure what he was saying.

'Wait. What? You're going to be in there?'

Oh. My. God. Holy shit.

That was so much worse than having to go in there on my own. I could handle rejection on my own, when no one else was watching—I was not sure if I could maintain the same semblance of grace if everyone that mattered to me was watching me.

Tori smiled encouragingly, but honestly, all it did was make me even more nervous. I think they finally caught on, because they all left the room, whispering some more 'good luck's and things like that.

When I was finally alone, I let out a simmering sigh—a deep breath I didn't even know I had been holding. Tears were prickling in my eyes, and the anxiety attack I had been working so hard to push away seemed to take hold of me, and I couldn't push it down anymore.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't breathe.

Shit.

_I'm going to die out there. _

I _couldn't _do this.

* * *

><p><strong>André's POV<strong>

Somehow, I knew leaving Jen on her own was a bad idea. She looked like a deer trapped in the headlights.

'Hey guys,' I called, as Tori, Beck and Cat turned to look at me, 'I'm going to check on Jen again. Something tells me she's going to be … Nervous.'

Beck frowned. 'She said she was going to be fine.' Tori slapped his arm before I could say anything and said, 'Beck, come on. She looked like she was about to faint. Go check on her, André. We'll see you inside.'

I nodded—I had a really weird feeling, and I couldn't really explain it. It was as though I knew something was wrong; I just didn't know with who and what. I was guessing it was Jen because I knew she had a pretty bad case of stage fright.

Jade was not here today—Thank God for that—and I was going to take full advantage of it. She had a way of infuriating me beyond belief, and then still expecting me to fulfill my 'boyfriendly' duties—even though she refused to talk to me in public.

I was sick of her attitude, and I wasn't going to stand for it anymore. But not today. Today was about Jen, and I needed to be there for her today.

I knew how scared she was—I knew how terrifying stage fright could be; I'd seen it on plenty of others here at Hollywood Arts. And I knew fears like that could be paralyzing.

From what I'd seen from Jen—she was going to go from calm to freak out in 3.2 seconds.

At that thought, I quickened my pace and burst through the dressing room door—just in time, apparently.

Jen was backed into a corner, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees and tears streaking down her cheeks. Her breath was coming out in short, fast pants and I felt a pang of sorrow at her obvious distress.

God, I hated seeing her like that. I would give anything to just make her smile again. That sweet, innocent, beautiful smile I couldn't get off my mind.

No.

Damnit, I chastised myself. Bad André. No crushing on your best friend's baby sister.

Instead, I sighed, closed the door and kneeled before her. 'Jen? Sweetie? Look at me.' She shuddered, shook her head and continued sobbing, not even responding to my term of endearment. Usually, she would be slapping the hell out of me already—she was scaring me now.  
>I closed my eyes for a moment, regrouping my thoughts. I needed her to look at me to be able to calm her down.<p>

I slowly prepared myself to touch her—her skin always set mine on fire—and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at me.  
>I ignored the chills that ran down my spine as I took in her big brown eyes filled with tears and a gleam of something I couldn't quite identify.<p>

Her breathing was still hard and fast, and I could nearly hear her heart thrumming through her chest. I could read the pure and undiluted fear in her eyes, and it sent waves of pain rocking through my body.

I didn't want her to be afraid.

I would give her everything she wanted, do whatever she wanted me to just to make her smile again. To take away every bit of fear she held and to make her happy for the rest of her life.

She kept shaking her head, breathing 'I can't, I can't, I can't…'

'Jen,' I whispered, pulling her close, 'breathe… Come on, you need to calm down.'

Nothing I said seemed to make even the slightest difference, but I did notice how her muscles seemed to relax slightly when I pulled her closer.  
>My mind ran a thousand miles a second as I considered what I knew about people with stage fright and anxiety attacks.<p>

Physical contact.

I had to hold her. Keep talking to her. Breathe with her.

I wasn't particularly looking forward to hold her small body that close to mine – I knew for sure that I was going to react strongly to her nearness.  
>I shook my head and scolded myself.<p>

This wasn't about me; Jen needed me.

With that thought in mind, I leaned back against the wall, pulled Jen into my arms, so her back was pressed against my chest, and wrapped my arms around her waist.

My heart was thumping loudly in my ears, but I ignored the intimacy of our position and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.  
>'Jen, sweetheart, I need you to focus on breathing. I'm gonna breathe with you, okay?'<p>

She nodded shakily.

I took a deep breath to steady my own nerves and whispered, 'Okay… Breathe in…' She took a shaky breath at the same time as I did. '… And out,' I breathed in her ear, breathing with her, kissing the tip of her ear.

Her breathing was still ragged and unsteady, and it scared the hell out of me. What if I couldn't calm her down? I'd never been that scared before. She had to be okay. She just had to be. Other options would cause instant heart failure on my part—I _needed _her to be okay.

'In…' I whispered, desperately trying to ignore the growing ball of panic in the pit of my stomach, '… And out.' She was shaking, her breathing more like constant sobs, wheezing in her lungs.

I could feel her heart thrumming against my fingers, where my hand rested just below her sternum, and I was slightly alarmed by the speed of her heart. She needed to calm down now—or I wasn't the only one ending up with a heart attack.

Jesus Christ. What the hell had scared her so much?

'Jen,' I breathed in her ear, 'honey, I need you to calm down, okay? You're going to be okay. I promise you'll be okay.'  
>She shook her head, her tears dripping on my arm. 'I can't, I can't… Don't make me.. Please, André,' she choked, 'Don't make me do it.'<p>

I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but for a terrifying moment, I thought she was talking about that once we had sex – but when she snuggled deeper into my arms, holding onto me for dear life, I realized that whatever it was, she wasn't talking about that.

My relief only lasted for a split-second before fear slammed back into me at full force. 'I won't,' I whispered, 'you don't have to do anything you don't want to.' She was still shaking and crying, but her breathing had slowed a tiny little bit, which was an immense achievement already.

I continued rocking her softly, whispering nonsense in her ear, keeping her focused on my voice as she calmed down slowly, her breathing and heartbeat slowing down to a healthier level.

I was slightly more comfortable now it seemed she was going to be okay, but continued to whisper to her, holding her lithe body pressed tightly to mine as she continued crying softly.

As I continued to whisper to her and press kisses to her temple—without really thinking about it—I could hear applause in the adjoining theatre, and Jen's music starting.

Oh shit.

It was her turn. I glanced down at the quivering girl in my arms. She wasn't ready to out there by a long shot. I needed more time.

Fuck!

Without removing Jen from my embrace, I managed to maneuver my phone from my pocket and whipped up a text to Tori.

_Me: Stall the audition. Jen's NOT okay yet; need more time._

Tori texted back immediately, not even asking questions, simply letting me know she was on it. I closed my eyes and thanked God for my best friend. She was amazing when I needed her.

With that out of the way, I refocused my attention on Jen, who was calmer now, her sobs nearly stopping completely—but she was still shaking in fear.

Fear of auditioning, I guessed.

Now I thought about it, it made sense. From what I had gathered from Tori and Beck and my own experience with Jen, her confidence was about as high as the heel on her shoe.

Which was virtually nothing.

Of course she was terrified of auditioning. Her stage fright was probably magnified by all that.

'Feeling better?' I asked softly, when the tremors and sobs subsided slightly.

She sniffed softly, but shook her head. 'I can't do this. Everyone is going to be so disappointed in me. I'm nothing but a disappointment.' I was stunned at her reasoning, my brain stopping short at her ridiculous statements.

How on earth could a beautiful talented girl like Jen feel so worthless? She was everything to Beck, and I knew how much Tori cared about her.  
>And then there was me, of course. I mean, I might not allow myself to think about her too much, but I did care about her.<p>

I was even sure that—if I just let myself—I could fall for her. No, I most likely _would_. I sighed at myself – what was it with me and girls I wasn't supposed to like, much less love?

First Beck's ex, now his sister. I was the worst best friend in the world.

I scolded myself. There'd be plenty of time to talk myself out of my increasing attraction and feelings for Jen, or my problems with Jade, later. Right now, I needed to get Jen out of her self-loathing haze.

And so, I slowly turned her in my embrace, tilting her chin up to look in her eyes.

'You, sweetheart, are going to listen to me very carefully.' She blinked up at me with her big brown eyes, biting her lower lip softly. When I was convinced I had her full attention, I carefully weighed my next words.

'You clearly have no idea how much you mean to your brother, or Tori, or even me. You are super talented and even if you don't want to go out there, it won't make Beck love you any less.' I hesitated for a moment and then added, 'But for the record, I think you'd be great out there. I know you'd be.'

I watched her eyes tear up and her lower lip quiver and cursed myself for making her cry again as I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. 'Shh, sweetheart, it's okay,' I whispered, desperately wishing she'd stop crying.

She mumbled something incoherent into my shirt, and I found myself muttering, 'What was that?' Before I considered that maybe, I didn't want to know what she was saying.

She looked up, her eyes red and swollen and tear tracks on her cheeks. And I swear to God, she'd never looked more beautiful to me. 'You called me sweetheart,' she whispered. I grinned and shook my head. 'Of course, that's what you'd remember of my speech.'

She managed a weak chuckle. 'I'm not sure if I can do it,' she whispered, her eyes flitting towards the stage entrance.  
>I smiled at her. 'You don't have to. If you don't want to do this, no one will make you. You can do whatever you want.'<p>

'Really?'

Her breathy insecure whisper nearly broke my heart. Nonetheless, I nodded and stroked a lock of hair from her face.

'Really,' I confirmed.

She gazed at the entrance intently, almost as though she was willing the door to provide her with an answer, while I was trying to get my body under control again. Having her this close, on my lap and in my arms wasn't really working wonders for my self control.

Then again, I was proud that I hadn't thrown her onto the couch to kiss her senseless yet. But if she kept wiggling like that, I just might.

'Do you think I should try?' She whispered, finally stopping her constant wiggling in my lap, looking up at me with a sheen of unshed tears in her eyes.  
>I hated that question—I would always encourage people to challenge themselves, but something about Jen made me want to protect her, keep her safe from any disappointments.<p>

'I don't know,' I whispered, 'I think you could be great if you took the chance. But I don't think you should do anything you don't want to do.'

And at that, I could hear the music start again, and nearly cursed under my breath when Jen's eyes widened in panic, her fingers tightening on my shirt.

Her breathing became heavier once again.

I pulled her into my arms again, and began whispering in her ear.

This was going to take a while. She was not ready. Not by a long shot.

* * *

><p><strong>Tori's POV<strong>

I raised my eyebrow as I read André's text.

_She's not okay yet? What the hell does that mean? _As much as I would like to dwell on the matter, I knew that André didn't have time to answer my elaborate questions—the list was growing longer and longer in my head, and I was going to conduct my best friend to a very thorough inquiry when we had the time.

Right now though, I had to do what he asked of me—stall Jen's audition so he could calm her down or help her prepare or whatever.

I quickly typed up a response and turned to Beck. 'André asked us to stall the audition,' I said bluntly. We didn't have time to mess around. The music had already started.

Understandably, Beck sat open-mouthed for a moment before firing question after question at me; I rolled my eyes in annoyance and slapped his shoulder.

'Get it together! We can ask questions later. There has to be a really good reason and you know it. Just help me figure out how we're going to give them more time.'

Cat—evidently listening in on our conversation—suddenly jumped up, pointed to the entrance and yelled, 'Oh my God! There's a coconut bowling in the hall!'

As much as I wanted to be surprised, I could actually see her reasoning. Predictably, Sikowitz jumped to his feet and knocked over half of the chairs that had been set up in his haste to get to the door.

In the pandemonium that followed his hastened exit—Lane and Mr. Belling ran out after him—I turned to Cat and raised an eyebrow. 'Coconut bowling? Really?'

She pouted at me. 'What-y? It worked, didn't it?'

Beck slid up behind me and rested one hand on my waist—God, I felt so damn tingly right now!

What was I talking about again?

He pressed a soft kiss to my cheek and whispered, 'Did André say why he needed more time?'

I shook my head, desperately trying to keep my raging hormones in check. Damn it. Beck knew perfectly well what he was doing—I really didn't have time for a Beck-straction.

I giggled at my own silly thought—before I realized I had to look kind of crazy to the other.

'No,' I replied, 'He didn't say. Jen's probably freaking out though.' Beck sighed, his breath tickling my neck. 'Maybe I should go check on them.'

I turned in his embrace, resting my arms on his shoulders, and looked in his eyes. 'Let André handle this. You know how close they are. He's probably the only one who can calm her down.'

He pouted. 'I know. But still, she's my sister.'

I shook my head at the adorable little frown that formed on his forehead. 'Look,' I began, pressing a kiss on his cheek, 'André will call us if he needs us. As long as he's with Jen, she'll be okay.'

Beck frowned. 'Do you think I should worry about that?'

'Worry about what?'

'How close Jen and André are.' He bit his lip thoughtfully. 'You don't think they'd... They wouldn't, would they?'

I raised an eyebrow at him. André and Jen? No way. Besides, I knew André was still hung up on Jade—he wouldn't. And not with Jen.

She was so not his type.

'No,' I smiled, 'They're just friends. I'm sure. Jen just needs someone to be there for her. André's that guy.'

At that precise moment, Helen barged in again and demanded all attention. 'I want everyone back in their seats! There will be no more interruptions!'  
>Panic welled up in the pit of my stomach as I exchanged a glance with Beck.<p>

We needed to stall them more.

'Oh my God!' I yelled, 'Sinjin's head is stuck in the soda machine!'

'Again!' Beck added.

Sinjin stuck his head down from the catwalk and yelled, 'No, it's not!'

A chorus of 'SINJIN!' rang up from me, Beck and Cat—but Helen persisted.

'No! You are all going to sit down or I will kick you out!'

'But—' I tried, only to be interrupted.

'SIT!' She yelled, giving me the evil eye—it scared the hell out of me and I quickly sat down, pulling Beck down with me.

As the music began again, I briefly hoped André had had enough time to calm Jen down.

As the song wore on, Beck's grip on my hand tightened. Jen still hadn't come out. I felt the beginnings of worry seep into my own system too, and checked my phone again, hoping to see a reassuring text appear—but alas, nor André, nor Jen had sent a text.

'Where is she?' Beck whispered, his eyes glued to the stage-entrance. I shook my head, biting my lip. 'I don't know,' I whispered, willing _someone_ to come through the door.

I could see Helen get agitated, Sikowitz sucking on a coconut without a care in the world and Lane looking worried.

Shit. This was getting out of hand.

Jen needed to get out there now.

As though someone heard my silent pleas, the door opened and Jen walked onto the stage.

She looked extremely pale and her hands were shaking. I glanced at Beck, who was glaring at his sister with terrifying intensity.

I looked back at Jen, who'd walked to the middle of the stage, stopped completely and opened her mouth to say something.

'I—' She began, faltering, a blush spreading on her pale cheeks. She glanced over her shoulder, and for the first time, I noticed André, who was standing behind her, by the entrance door.

He nodded encouragingly, and I was still rather startled by how easy and natural their communication seemed. He didn't even need to say anything.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Jen. She was talking again.

She locked eyes with her brother and shook her head sadly.

'I'm sorry.'

* * *

><p><strong>Hi there :D <strong>

**How ya doing?**

**So... I'm actually really curious about your opinions on this chapter :D And yes, I am aware I left you with a cliffhanger :) **

**Just so you know, there'll be more of those during the story :D I'll try to update HBA next, but I'm not sure when that'll be. **

**Read & Review!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	12. Round Two

**So.. Anyone still reading? **

**I'm so sorry it took so long.. I was just. Stuck, I guess. This chapter is very short, and I am sorry for that, but I felt like it was right to leave it off where I did. I couldn't really add more :S **

**Anyhow, for those of you who want to see Jen's audition, there's a videolink posted underneath the chapter :D **

**I hope you guys can forgive me for being away for so long, but I was so stuck, and life got in the way and... Ugh. It just sucked. But I missed you guys, so please, do let me know what you think! **

**Enjoy!**

**Xx Annaelle**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve - Round Two<strong>

**JEN'S POV**

I felt everyone's eyes resting upon me and the spotlight was burning in my neck. I was still petrified—but I owed them an explanation.**  
><strong>That knowledge did nothing to slow my erratic heartbeat though, and I nearly fainted at my brother's burning gaze.

The only thing that kept me standing was André—and as much as I knew it was not a good idea to lean on him this much, I needed to.  
>And so, I gathered up what little courage I had left, breathed in deeply, and began my explanation of what I was going to do.<p>

As I spoke, slowly and deliberately, I was met with a lot of startled and downright indignant stares—and I had expected no less.

I knew that no one would foresee my much-less-than-perfect solution for the stage fright. Of course, even I had not thought of it before—I came up with the idea in a moment of temporary insanity—but it was perfect for me nonetheless.

I _wanted_ this audition. I _wanted_ to prove that I _was_, in fact, good at something. Most of all, I just wanted Beck and my dad to be able to be proud of me.

So, instead of succumbing to the paralyzing fear that was niggling in the back of my mind, I ploughed on, explaining in detail what I was planning on doing.

I kept my eyes focused on a spot right above my brothers head—I knew that if I were to meet his burning gaze, I would crack under the pressure.  
>Finally, when I was done explaining my part, I turned and held my hand out to André—he gave me an encouraging smile—that honestly made me even more nervous than I had been before—and stepped forward to take my hand.<p>

I took a deep breath and looked at the small woman in the front row—she looked tough, and strong-willed, but nothing like the witch I had been imagining—obviously André and Beck had been exaggerating when they told me about her. If anything, she looked rather... Intrigued by my unusual take on the audition.

I adopted the emotionless, sometimes cocky mask I had seen my brother wear so many times and cocked my head to the side.  
>'Will that do, Helen?' I asked sweetly, hoping and praying that she would give me the second chance I needed.<p>

For a split-second, a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach made me question the whole thing—but then Helen burst into delighted laughter, making everyone else join in nervously.

I bit my lip and glanced at André, who looked as baffled as I was. 'Very well,' Helen laughed, 'You want to play it this way? Fine.'

Instant relief washed over me. It was as though an enormous weight had been lifted from my shoulders—I didn't have to do this.

Not without any help.

He was going to help me—he'd be there to support me.

I breathed out softly and nodded. 'Okay. Then, I'll need a minute to set up the everything; think you can arrange that?'

I was not at all impressed by the supposedly scary principal. Honestly, I no longer really saw what all the fuss was about.  
>Slowly, I allowed myself to glance at the other faces in the room, managing a weak smile for my brother and Tori's benefit, though my nerves were playing up once again.<p>

My heart sped up once again as the full extent of what I was doing hit me. What if they would hate me after this? Beck and dad would be so disappointed—my mom would be proven right.

Before I could control my thoughts, my breathing increased and I felt myself being sucked right back into the anxiety attack.

Fuck.

What had I been thinking? This was madness. I was embarrassing myself.

I don't know how he caught onto my anxiety—nor did I particularly care—but André squeezed my hand softly, pulling my attention right back to him.  
>He smiled sweetly when I looked at him—my heart fluttered slightly—and mouthed, 'You got this.'<p>

And just like that, my doubts disappeared, like snow in the sun. It was a sudden, unfamiliar feeling—something I was not sure I even wanted to explore.  
>No one had ever been able to snap me from one of those attacks while I was in them, much less while I was working up to one.<p>

And yet, I only needed one smile from my brother's best friend to know that somehow, I would be okay.

I wasn't sure why that was—and I was pretty sure I didn't want to know either.

Helen broke the spell by yelling, 'You drive a hard bargain, dear. You have one hour to arrange all that you need. In the mean time, the other auditions will continue.'

I broke into a smile—things were working too well—I kept waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.

Nothing in my life ever went this easily.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a soft tugging on my hand. André was dragging me back towards the changing room, chattering on and on about how this was the perfect solution for my stage fright, and how awesome I'd handled Helen.

Somehow, everything was slowing down—hazing; my body moved without my own cooperation, and my mind felt as though it was running at warp speed. I had no idea what brought this on; but it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

It gave me the opportunity to think about what was happening—what was about to happen.

I was really auditioning for Hollywood Arts—and I didn't even have to get up on stage for it. As soon as the door closed behind me, it was as though a weight fell from my shoulders; as though I could suddenly breathe freely again.

'Oh my God,' I squealed, jumping in André's arms, laughing in near-hysteria, 'She bought it! We get to do this!'

André's arms wrapped around me—the tingling sensation I always felt shot right to my head, making my head spin with reckless abandon—and wrapped me up in a hug so tight and so enthusiastic it lifted my feet off the ground.

'_You_,' he whispered, 'You did it. You get to do this.' Slowly, he set me to my feet again, but made no move to let me go. His hand slid from its position on the small of my back all the way up, his fingers rubbing soft circles atop my spine.

His touch sent shivers down my spine, our bodies flush against each other. Involuntarily, I inhaled his sweet, musky scent and reveled in the warmth his embrace provided. The safety his arms made me want to cry in relief—but the swirl of emotions I read in his eyes made me want to run and hide.

In that one, single moment, I realized that André Harris was the most dangerous person I would ever encounter—he already had the power to completely break me; he'd made me believe again, and he could take that belief away far easier than he had given it.

We stayed pressed together, even though I could hear the music playing for the next audition—despite the fact that we both knew someone else could walk in here at any given moment.

It felt almost as though we'd been spelled—I couldn't move away; I couldn't remember why I couldn't do this—all I wanted was to burrow further into his embrace, his warmth, his safety.

Goosebumps were jumping up on my skin wherever he touched me, his eyes burning into mine—he was leaning closer; wasn't he?

Was he—?

Oh. Shit.

His breathing—along with mine—grew heavier, his breath washing over my lips, sending shivers down my spine. I was in awe of his ... everything—he was so handsome; so good; so sweet—before I even knew what I was doing, my fingers were already travelling up, tracing his lips, his jaw, the soft dreads in the nape of his neck.

Something in André's eyes changed—the struggle that I'd seen; the hesitation and slight fear battling the longing—that I didn't understand completely—; seemed to be over.

He just looked determined now—I swore I saw a flash of vulnerability in his eyes before he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against mine. The soft, fleeting contact sent lightening coursing through my body, my inability to think straight when André was around increasing even more.

He leaned back, staring at me, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them before. I was already breathing heavily, and the kiss had lasted less than three seconds.

Frustrated that he had leaned back, angry at myself for wanting more and feeling more daring than I ever had before, I grabbed his collar and crashed my lips to his again, making him groan softly at the sudden contact.

He needed only a tenth of a second to react to the passion with which I had kissed him. I poured in every ounce of forbidden passion and affection I had ever felt for him into the kiss, happily accepting the deepening of the kiss as he slipped his tongue into my mouth.

My mind was blissfully blank—for the first time since I had last kissed him, in New York, I felt truly, honestly relaxed.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely lost in the sensation of kissing him, while he stumbled forward, pushing me back against the wall before he hoisted me up, groaning when I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

My heart skipped a few beats when the protruding bulge in his jeans came into contact with my heated core. I moaned softly into the kiss and felt André smile into the kiss, his hands sliding down to my thighs, as I started rolling my hips against his almost automatically.

He felt _so_ good.

And then loud laughter and applause burst the bubble—and it was gone.

He tore his lips from me rather abruptly, pulling back completely, leaving an ocean of distance between us—he nearly jumped away from me; like I was some kind of poison—something to be feared. His eyes were wide, and fearful, and that hurt more than anything else.

I knew—I had always known—that André was incredibly loyal to my brother and that he considered what had happened between us in New York one of the biggest mistakes he ever made; and I had agreed; I _knew_ that I should feel that way.

But the way he was looking at me now sent a sharp pang to my heart, fracturing it in a way I was not sure could be repaired.

He was the first person in a very long time that I trusted—trusted enough to show him a little bit of the broken, worthless person I was and trusted not to take advantage of it.

Right now, it seemed I had never made a more foolish mistake.

'André,' I whispered, silently willing him to not freak out, 'André, don't—'

But the damage was done.

He stumbled back, his features twisting with rage and confusion. 'God damn it, Jen!' He cried, 'What the hell was that?'

His words slashed into me with the fierceness and sharpness that I had expected—and it hurt too; hurt in a way I had not felt in a long time. 'How the hell should I know?' I yelled back, silently willing myself not to cry—he was not worth it—, '_You_ kissed _me_! Why the hell would you kiss me if you didn't even mean it?'

'I don't know!' he yelled, running his hands through his hair, 'I don't know what you're doing to me!'

It hurt as much as I had feared—his rejection stung badly as it washed over me, sending another pang of pain straight through my fragile and broken heart. The deep anger I could see reflected in André's gaze tore into me, leaving scars deeper than anyone else ever had, or ever would.

Ignoring the deep, intense ache that erupted from deep in me, I blinked away the tears that his harsh words had invoked. 'What I'm doing to you?' I spat, anger and hurt clouding my judgement and my eyes, 'What I'm fucking doing to _you_?'

How dare he blame all of this on me? It took two freaking people to have whatever the fuck we had, and I sure as hell wasn't the one who initiated it.

'You arrogant, selfish bastard,' I choked, because I knew how untrue those words were, but I needed to make him hurt the way he hurt me, 'You don't get to blame this on me. It takes two people, André. And you weren't complaining.'

I didn't wait for him to explain—for him to throw more insults at me.

I grabbed what I came for and turned around. I had an audition to get ready for; and I wasn't going to let anyone; especially a moron like him; deter me from my plans to get into Hollywood Arts. For once, I wanted to believe I was good enough—I _needed_ to believe I was good enough to get in.

I left André in the changing room, ignoring his calls as I walked away—I was the one who was wrong? I was bad?

I couldn't do this?

I strode into the control room, where a weird looking kid with curly hair and pimples stared at me as though he had never seen a girl before.

I gave him the DVD and smirked.

I _could_ do this.

If they didn't believe me?

Fucking watch me.

* * *

><p><p>

**Here's the video! **

/so-you-think-you-can-dance/ongezien-de-overweldig ende-dans-van-vivian-en-frederic

**And if that one doesn't work, try this YouTube one:**

watch?v=EM4ayI85Ebw

**BTW, who guessed how she would audition? **

**R&R!**


	13. In My Head

**Hah, how's this for fast updates? I'm kidding, I had this chapter written since.. Well, since I started the story. The next few chappie's are written too, so shouldn't be a long wait on those. **

**I'll let you good, sweet people read first and ramble some more below :D **

**Enjoy!**

**Xx Annaelle**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter thirteen – In My Head<strong>

**Blackbox Theatre**

Helen stared at the screen for a long time after it had turned black. She was not sure what she had expected when the Oliver girl had handed her a DVD and said that everything she wanted to know was on it.

She had been surprised when the girl had finally come out on stage and told her, point blank, that she didn't want to audition like this, because she knew she'd screw up because of her stage fright.

Instead, she could show Helen what she could do. She just needed a DVD-player and a TV screen.

Intrigued, she had agreed.

She hadn't expected the demure little girl she had seen on that stage to come back. She hadn't expected the girl to shock the hell out of all of them; stage fright or not…

That girl was talented.

Talent seemed to run in the family, she mused quietly, remembering how impressed she had been by the girl's brother when he re-auditioned.

The way Jenssen—that was her name, wasn't it?—had moved, danced on the DVD, like it was the most natural thing in the world to her.

Helen had seen many a budding artists—but she had never seen anyone with talent like her.

There was a look in her eyes that cautioned Helen—the girl was damaged. Undoubtedly, she had been abandoned, or hurt, or betrayed, and took it out on herself.

It was plain to see that she had little to no self-confidence, but when she danced… Helen glanced back to the screen involuntarily and smiled. When she danced, she was raw and open, and so heart achingly _real_, it made her forget that she was supposed to be a tough, no nonsense principal.

She knew.

She knew what it felt like to escape into art—to forget while you do what you love most; to forget who you are and what haunts you; to simply be whoever you want to be.

Whoever you need to be.

Helen nodded to herself and smiled. And that was the kind of raw talent Hollywood Arts needed.

'Jenssen Oliver,' she boomed, nodding to her assistant, 'Welcome to Hollywood Arts.'

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – Two weeks later<strong>

She truly wanted to avoid me at all costs. I'd had looked all over the place for her.

Everywhere.

And I just couldn't find her.

I really needed to apologize to her. I'd freaked out on her for no good reason. I mean, sure, she'd kissed me—or I kissed her, really did that distinction matter?—, but that was no reason to freak out on her. Surely I had just overreacted—Right?

Honestly, I didn't even remember why I'd been so mad at her. Maybe because Beck and Tori had been in the audience, and we could've been busted at any second. Or because the camera crew of The Wood was filming in the next room; and those producers had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe because she had broken our unspoken rule.

But mostly because I caught myself liking it. And I knew I shouldn't.

She'd tried to apologize. And I hadn't even let her finish. I had literally freaked out on her.

Now that I thought of it, I really couldn't remember why I had. As soon as the words of blame and anger had escaped from my lips, I felt bad about it. Before I could apologize for my tantrum, she had stormed out of the room—but I had seen the tears on her cheeks.

I knew I had hurt her.

And for some reason, that hurt me too.

I'd been looking for her everywhere ever since, I'd called and texted her a million times already, but she was ignoring me.

I'd talked to Beck and to Tori—I hadn't told either of them Jen and I had had a fight. Seriously, Beck would've killed me if I'd told him she had kissed me and I had let her do it.

So, I listened to him talk about how excited she was about getting through the auditions and getting into Hollywood Arts. And I pretended I knew already, pretended we were still talking to each other.

I knew she was here today—I'd seen her with Beck on the parking lot this morning. And I knew I was supposed to be in Sikowitz's class, but I really just needed to solve this—even though I couldn't like Jen like that, I _needed_ her to be my friend.

So far, I'd checked everywhere in Hollywood Arts—every corner and hidden room, every classroom, the Black Box and even the Janitor's closet.  
>At the moment, I was heading for the dance studio—my last resort.<p>

I prayed upon my good fortune to find her here.

And it seemed that my prayers helped—she was there.

'I really don't want to talk to you, André,' she said, not even bothering to turn around as I closed the door behind me.

I took a few hesitant steps forward. 'Then don't talk to me.' I bit my lip. I knew how to make her see my regret. We had always been better at communicating without words.

'Please, Jen...' I extended my hand and pulled out my phone, pressing play on the song that was ready to be played—In My Head.

She sighed softly and turned around, eyeing my hand warily. Finally, she reached out her own hand and placed it in mine.

I tried very hard not to act upon the electric current that surged through me at her touch. And as I swirled her around, a haze seemed to settle over us, the music leading me, our bodies moving in perfect and flawless harmony.

We were almost as two limbs of one organism—and I knew she felt that too.

As the pace quickened, so did my heartbeat and a sheen of sweat formed on my skin as well as it did on hers.  
>Her body moved fluently and flush against mine—I could almost feel her heart beat against my chest.<p>

And just as close as she had been before, just as easily and far did she spin away now.

My mind was blissfully blank, as only dancing with Jen could do to me. And then she was back in my arms, her hands running up and down my chest, leaving a trail of goose bumps. As the song burst into the chorus one last time, our pace quickened, my mind seemed to fog, clouding my good judgement as lust raged through my body.

And then, before I knew it, we twirled into the final move, slowly sliding into absolute stillness.

As the last notes of the music died away, I found myself absolutely and utterly unable to tear my gaze from Jen's dark eyes. Her arms were still locked around my neck, and she was still very much pressed up against me.

Sure, the dance had me breathing heavily and my heart racing, but the many things I was feeling had little to do with the dance as much as they did with the girl that was currently staring in my eyes with nothing short of pure exhilaration.  
>And instead of leaning away, as we both knew we should have, I found myself leaning closer to her, crossing the little space between us, involuntarily tightening my grip on her waist as I did.<p>

Our breaths mingling, I could feel the heat radiating from her body onto mine.  
>'André,' she whispered when our lips were only a hair's breadth apart. I'd only heard her say my name like that once before—so tinted with raw emotion and desire—once... And I had been dreaming to hear it again ever since.<p>

And it was that whisper, added to the physical attraction we had been trying to ignore for weeks, that pushed me over the edge of insanity.

I tangled one of my hands in her dark locks, pulling her in. And the very moment my lips touched hers, something changed inside of me—it was like passion erupted out of my very foundations. Fire poured through my veins as my lips glided against hers.

When she finally opened her mouth slightly, allowing my tongue entrance, it became even more addictive. Nothing, no one had ever made me feel like this—a longing so strong, I couldn't bear to let her go.

I heard her soft moan as my tongue tangled with hers, her hands sliding up to twist her fingers in my dreads.

And I was completely gone.

I let my hands roam freely over her body, smiling into the kiss as she shivered under my touch. I stroked her back, tracing my fingers down her spine, stopping just above the soft swell of her behind. I couldn't help but smirk when she moaned softly as I tilted my head, changing the angle to our kiss as our tongues battled for dominance.

My skin burning, I let her push me back against the wall, her hands—not to mention my own—just longing to break under my shirt.

And then—no matter how much I hated it—I remembered where I was.

And who I was kissing.

_Oh my God. Shit._

As the reality of the situation hit me, I jerked away, pushing Jen an arm's length away from me. 'Jen, don't,' I croaked, a part of me wishing she would tell me to shut up and kiss her again.

This was insanity. She was Beck's little sister—completely and utterly off-limits.  
>Beck had trusted I wouldn't take advantage of her—which was exactly what I had done.<p>

I was falling hard for her. And I shouldn't.

But that did nothing to change the fact that I was falling.

She moved back, away from me.

I cringed slightly when cold air replaced her warm embrace. 'André, I'm sorry,' she said, clapping her hands over her mouth in shock. 'I'm so, so sorry. I got caught up in the moment, and I just—' Before I could stop myself, I did it again.

I kissed her.

And she didn't stop me. I moved my hand up—very aware of the trail of goose bumps I left on her skin—to twist my fingers in her luscious black hair.  
>Before I got caught up in the kiss again, she pulled back, breaking the kiss.<p>

'Why did you do that?' She whispered, her eyes large in surprise. I couldn't think straight while she was in my arms—all I could think about was that I really wanted to kiss her again. I shrugged. 'I don't know.'

Slowly, a sly smile appeared on her face, sparks twinkling in her eyes. 'Then why do I want you to do it again?'

Though I would've liked nothing better than to do just that, I knew I shouldn't.

That didn't take away the fact that I _really_ wanted to. And I knew she knew that.  
>'André,' she whispered, and I couldn't help but love the way my name slipped from her lips, 'Why did you kiss me back?'<p>

I shook my head slightly, taking a few stumbled paces back, away from her intoxicating presence—I couldn't say it.  
>Admitting it, saying the words out loud, would doom me for sure. I would lose my best friend—there was no way Beck was ever going to be okay with me dating Jen.<p>

Ever.

'André?' she repeated, uncertainty in her voice, 'Please tell me I didn't imagine it. Tell me you feel the tension and the sparks when we dance, when we touch. Tell me I wasn't the only one.'

She wasn't—I had to stop myself from throwing her against a wall and kiss her senseless. But I couldn't. She was Beck's sister.

He'd kill me. More importantly, he'd kill her.

'I can't,' I whispered, too much aware of the tears in her eyes, 'Jen, you know I can't. Beck is my best friend.' She bit her lip, blinking vigorously. 'Do I really mean that little to you?' One single tear ran down her cheek.  
>I jumped towards her, caressing her cheek, physically unable to see her pain. 'No, Jen, please, you know that's not true. I just don't want to lie to Beck.'<p>

She reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. 'Then we don't lie to him. We'll explain... We'll make him understand.' She pulled me closer. 'André, please. Don't throw this away before we figure out what it is. Give us a shot. Please.'

But it was too much. I couldn't.

So I did the only thing I could.

I ran.

* * *

><p><strong>JEN'S POV<strong>

I just stood and watched André run out of the studio—feeling my heart break as he did. I couldn't believe I'd been stupid enough to think he might actually like me back. But the way he had pulled me ever closer, the passion when he kissed me . . .

I shook my head and slid my back down the wall, burying my face in my hands. I should've known better.

Why would he anyway?

It's not like I was all that special—I wasn't extremely attractive to the opposite sex—unlike my brother—nor was I super smart or talented. The only thing I was good at was dancing. And dancing with André had made me feel special.

Unique.

But he was just being nice to me—after all, my brother was his best friend. I groaned and closed my eyes in desperation.

What had I been thinking?

Kissing André. How stupid had that been?

Of course, he was handsome. And hot. Smoking hot.

But he would never like me back—liking your best friend's little sister was against the best-friend-code and . . . Well. . . It was just plain wrong. But how could it be so wrong when it had felt so good?

I loved hanging out with him. He was so relaxed, so easygoing, so nice and sweet and . . . And . . . Just perfect.

Everything I had ever wanted in a guy, I found in André.

_Dang it. _

I couldn't allow myself to think the words that would hook me—I couldn't.

He was my brother's best friend.

_I'm screwed._

* * *

><p><strong>2.30 AM<strong>

I couldn't sleep. My head was still swarming with confused, tangled thoughts. Every few minutes I would drift off into a light sleep, only to startle awake again, the feel of André's lips on mine fresh in my memory.

I flipped onto my stomach and sighed. I really needed some sleep.  
>But with André in my head . . . No way. I had to talk to him—he needed to know how I felt about him, even if he didn't feel the same way.<p>

I glanced at the clock.

Two thirty AM.

I sat up and ran a hand through my now curly hair.

Why should I wait?

I had to talk to him in private—I wasn't going to get that at school.

Making a sudden decision, I jumped up, pulled a loose HA-shirt over my head, pulled my black shorts on, quickly tied my Converses and ran outside, sneaking past Beck's RV, hardly even noticing Tori's car on the driveway.

I didn't stop running until I reached the street André lived in—only a couple of blocks from my house—slightly out of breath.

As I slowed my pace to a casual stroll, I felt tingles of anticipation run over my skin, my heart pounding in my chest.

The mere memory of his touch made me all tingly and burn with desire.

Biting my lip, I walked up to his front door, dreading what I was going to say to him, yet feeling exhilaration course through my veins.

As I raised my hand to knock, the door already swung open, revealing a ruffled André, looking as determined as I felt.

'André,' I whispered, no longer able to remember more words than his name; my eyes met his in a heated stare, and he moved so fast, I hardly noted what he was doing before his lips once again collided with mine.

And for once, we were on the same page.

Finally feeling his lips on mine again relieved some of the heat, the bottled up tension that had been bugging me for weeks. And this time, his lips weren't soft or gentle as they met mine. They crashed against mine with such a force I thought he might actually bruise my lips.

His arms slid around my waist, eliminating all space between us, as my skin burned where it grazed past his, and I let out an involuntary moan as his teeth grazed my lip.

Aching with desire, I let him pull me into the house, kicking the door shut, and push me against the wall, somehow manoeuvring one of his legs between mine.

The feeling of relief was everywhere.

Involuntarily, I felt my toes curl at the sensation of his tongue moving against mine. One of his hands found its way to my neck, pulling me impossibly closer to him while the other caressed the skin of my thigh, sending wave after wave of pleasure to my already damp core.

Our tongues danced together, finishing the dance we had started earlier today. His hands slid down to the back of my thighs, and I jumped a little, wrapping my legs around his waist. I could feel him pressing against my core and moaned against his lips at the mere thought of him finally touching me again.

I slipped my hands under his shirt, needing his clothes to be off, out of the way. I wanted skin; _his_ skin.

Unfortunately, he distracted me before I got the chance to lift it.

I moaned again and felt my head loll back against the wall in pleasure when he moved his lips from mine, kissing the tender skin of my neck. I couldn't help but moan again as I felt him gently suck on my skin before returning his lips to mine.

I found it extremely hard to think—especially when he let his hands moved up my thighs, grabbing my ass, pulling me even closer. I could feel the hardness of his erection press against my thigh, making my core throb painfully.

I traced my hands down his chest, vaguely wondering when he had taken his shirt off . . . Or mine.

My hands reached the hem of his boxers at the same time as his reached the clasp of my bra. Suddenly, he leaned back, resting his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed. His breathing was heavy, jagged, his chest heaving against mine.

The need to continue what we'd started had my insides twisting and churning.

'What are we doing?' He whispered.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't remember how to answer him properly. Slowly, as it was the only answer I could give him, I leaned in and pressed my lips on his softly.  
>Before we could both get lost in each other again, I pulled away and smiled at him.<p>

'What we've been doing ever since we met,' I whispered, tracing my lips over his cheek and past his ear, 'dancing . . .' I leaned back to look into his eyes, '. . . And getting lost in the heat of the moment.'

Then his lips finally crashed back against mine as I managed to tighten my legs around his waist, effectively holding him close to me. I smiled slightly into the kiss when he groaned and pressed his body closer to mine, his hardness just barely grazing past my core.

One of his hands had slipped down to my ass, offering me support while the other gripped into my back. His fingertips dug into the soft skin of my back, inches below my bra. I moaned softly when he softly pressed a kiss on my shoulder before returning his lips to mine.

I moaned even louder as he threw my bra aside, my eyes rolling back in their sockets in pleasure as his palms softly caressed my nipples.

And then my panties were suddenly ripped from me, and his boxers fell to the floor.

His lips came crashing onto mine again, his hands delving in my hair, his shaft teasing at me at my entrance. I nearly screamed in frustration. Every inch of me begged for his touch, but as he slid inside of me, pain electrified through me, tears springing to my eyes. His lips swallowed my surprised gasp, his soft caresses distracting me slightly.

_It shouldn't hurt_—_should it? I wasn't a virgin anymore. He made sure of that._

My thoughts were cut short when he rocked back out, slowly morphing the pain into a pleasurable burn. He entered me all the way to the hilt, and if his lips would've let me, my moan of satisfaction would have rivalled that of several well-known opera singers.

I broke the kiss, pressing my lips against his shoulder, grazing my teeth on his skin. I bit down, hard, as his hips started grinding in slow motions against mine.

Every single one of his thrusts sent trembles and tingles rushing through my body, as he lowered his lips to the now extremely tender skin of my neck. His tongue left a trail of heat along my skin while he moved tantalizingly slow between my inner walls.

My entire body was humming in intense pleasure, almost falling over that blissful edge, but André was moving far too slow for me to come already.

As he hit unknown spots inside of me, I released another pleasure-filled moan into the air. I was gasping and aching to reach my climax when I felt André smiling against my neck.

I rocked my hips against his when he finally picked up the pace, groaning in pleasure when I noticed his breathing getting heavier as I did.

My eyes rolled back into their sockets when he hit my sweet spot over and over again, his lips moulding themselves back onto mine. His tongue danced along with mine as we met together, thrust for thrust, and before I knew it, my vision started to blur.

I heard him groan loudly, and pulled him closer. I couldn't see; I could hardly hear, all I was able to do was feel the waves of intense pleasure as they ripped through me, again and again. I screamed his name, my walls tightening around him, and I felt him come too, moaning my name loudly.

The sensation of his heat still in me almost brought me into another orgasmic frenzy, but I was snapped out of the sexual haze by his hoarse whisper.

'Jen. . .'

I rested my forehead against his neck. 'I know.'

We remained there, unmoving, unwilling to lose the moment.

I was in deep now. I was in love with André Harris.

And I was pretty sure he liked me back.

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV<strong>

Jen leaned to the doorframe, clad only in my boxers and her bra, her hair a dark, tangled mess of curls, her lips still red and swollen. I grinned at the sight of the large, dark hickey I'd left on her neck.

My heart started beating faster at the sight of her, and though I knew having sex with her had been so wrong—but so good—I couldn't help myself.

I _needed_ to be with her.

After managing to steady my heartbeat, we'd moved to the couch and then the bedroom for a surprisingly gentler coupling than earlier.

She'd been basking in the afterglow—feeling too damn perfect in my arms to be real—when I decided I was thirsty and needed something to drink.

Actually, I just needed to get away from her for five minutes before I'd jump her again. I just couldn't keep my hands off her.

She was ... Irresistible.

She smiled—my heart did a double back flip. 'That was even better than I remembered.' I couldn't help but grin.

She was adorable.

'We were drunk last time. And it was your first time.' She bit her lip, still smiling. 'I wasn't that drunk.'

As she pushed herself off the doorframe to walk towards me, I felt my insides flutter, and though it probably wasn't intentional, she had never looked sexier to me.

_How could she be so insecure and scared when it came to her everyday life, and so . . . sexy, seductive and certain when we were alone?_

My thoughts were cut short when she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned in to press her lips on mine. My arms snaked around her waist, skin brushing naked skin, tingling spreading throughout my body.

'So,' she whispered when her lips parted with mine, 'What were you thinking about before? You had your Deep-Thinking-Face on.'

I frowned slightly. 'I have a Deep-Thinking-Face?'

She nodded, giggling when I pushed her back against the kitchen counter.  
>'Well, I was thinking how sexy you looked in my boxers.' A slight blush coloured her cheeks and she bit her lip, gazing up at me from under her lashes.<p>

_God, she's so beautiful._

I lifted my hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. 'You have no idea how beautiful you are,' I whispered. Her eyes grew slightly larger in surprise before she whispered, 'You have no idea how beautiful you make me feel.'

I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead.

I don't really know how long we stood there, my arms locked around her waist and vice versa, as if we were some old couple that had been together all our lives.

It almost felt as if we had been.

I knew nothing would be the same after tonight anymore. I couldn't deny what I felt for her—she couldn't. I just felt so alive, so aching with desire. And she was the reason I felt all that and much more.

A few moments later, I felt my lips collide with hers again, smirking when we stumbled back to my bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>So, okay, I want to say I'm sorry again for the long hiatus. I wish I could've changed it, but I really couldn't.<br>The story just didn't want to work with me once I started writing again, but by then, I'd left it for two months already. See, I've been quite sick for a long time, and I just couldn't write. **

**I was incapable of doing much, and as much as I hated it, my parents wouldn't let me go anywhere near my computer. Or my laptop. When they finally gave in, the story just ... It took me a while to get the feel for it back :D **

**But I'm back now! **

**And I promise, I'll finish this ASAP! Oh, and for those waiting for an update on MaL, that's coming too! I'm just trying to figure out how to write a certain... Twist into the chapter :D Promise you'll love it though :p**

**Shoutout: **

**Sokka2Me: Oh, she auditioned :D I just wanted to see if any of you could guess _how_ she did, to evade her stage fright :D And, yes, the sequel to Leave It All To Shine is very much a possibility :D I'm writing it too, I just want to have it completed or nearly completed before I start uploading, to avoid long hiatus's between updates :D But it's coming, I promise :D **

**Okay.. **

**That's it! I'll have the next chapter up soon! **

**R&R!**

**Xx Annaelle**

**PS Any of you wondering about André and Jade? *Wink* Yeah.. You should :D**


	14. Exclusive

**Ranting below, I'll let you read first :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx Annaelle**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter thirteen – Exclusive<strong>

**ANDRÉ'S POV – Several days later**

I glanced at the poster and back at Jen. 'I thought you hated horror movies?' She smiled. 'I do. But it'll give me an excuse to hold your hand all the time.' I grinned slightly.

'It's 18+, baby. You can't go in yet.' She pouted at me, knowing perfectly well I couldn't resist her when she did that. 'André, please?'  
>I sighed. 'Alright. Fine.' She laughed in triumph and kissed my cheek quickly, leaving my skin burning where her lips had brushed past it.<p>

I grinned at her and got in line to get the tickets. Jen bit her lip, followed me, grabbed my hand and whispered, 'Do you want some snacks?' I grinned at her. 'That would be a waste of money. Last time I saw this movie, I was so horrified I couldn't even look at my popcorn.'  
>She sighed. 'Is it that bad?' I nodded, smiling when she grimaced. 'We can still see something else if you want.'<p>

I was half-hoping she'd take that offer—the movie was really scary. Gave me nightmares for a week last time I saw it. It was some Dutch movie—seriously one of the best horrors I had ever seen.

I was traumatized—I hadn't been anywhere near an elevator since I saw it.

I saw doubt cross her expression, but then she shook her head. 'I'll be fine as long as I get to hold your hand.' I smirked and looked down at my hand, studying the way our fingers were entwined. Her small hand fit perfectly in mine, and though it sent electricity through my veins almost constantly, I knew that was the only reason I could live with lying to my best friend about this.

That and I loved her. I know it sounds stupid—we'd been dating for like five days—but I couldn't bear the thought that she wouldn't be in my life. I smiled as I recalled when I asked her out at school.

.

.

.

_Monday. . . The first day I'd see Jen at school after our . . . Our . . . Dang it. After hooking up with her. _

_I sighed and clenched my steering wheel tighter. _

What the hell am I going to do? What am I going to tell Beck?

_The car behind me honked, and I realized the light had already turned green. I quickly turned onto the parking lot and beat Sinjin's car to a parking spot near the door. _

_Childish, I know, but it at least got rid of some the frustration that was currently residing in me. _

_I didn't get out immediately_—_I didn't want to see either of them_—_meaning Beck and Jen_—_I needed to be sure what I was going to do before I did. _

_And what was I supposed to do with this dang situation? I sighed. I knew exactly what I wanted. _

_I just didn't want to admit it to myself. _

Look man, _I told myself, _You like her. Right?

_I sighed and leaned my head against the seat. _**Right. **

So tell her that. Ask her out. You already know she likes you back.

**But what if she says no?**

Dude . . .

_I groaned. I really needed to stop talking to myself. Finally, after the longest time, I got out and locked my car, walking into the school, still doubting about what I was going to say when I saw Jen._

_After getting my things from my locker, I turned around just in time to see Jen and Beck walk in. Jen's eyes met mine_—_and suddenly I knew what I wanted.  
>Of course, I'd known all along<em>—_I just needed that little push to make sure. _

_As soon as I saw the chance, I pulled Jen into the Janitor's Closet. Before I even got to say anything, she pulled my lips to hers, obliterating my mind as she did. Before I could stop myself, I found my hands under her shirt, her fingers tangled in my dreads. _

_I groaned and pulled away, leaving Jen pouting. 'You know,' I whispered, 'this isn't why I pulled you in here.' She pouted more, causing me to laugh slightly.  
>'What is it then?' <em>

_My heart started pounding, and my ears seemed to be whizzing. 'Do you . . . Do you want to go out with me?' _God, that sounded so stupid. _She stared at me for a moment, her eyes large and irresistible_—_just a little bit too long. _

Why does she make me so nervous? God, I've asked dozens of girls out, and now, with the one girl that actually matters, I can't manage!

_She leaned in and pressed her lips on mine, softly redirecting my confused, tangled thoughts all back to one subject. _

Jen.

_'I'd love to go out with you,' she whispered when she leaned back. _

_My heart soared to the heavens._

.

.

.

She poked me, snapping me out of my thoughts roughly. 'Ouch,' I breathed, rubbing my ribs, 'Abusive already? It's a good thing you're so damn cute. What in the world was that for?' She smiled, 'You zoned out on me.'

I made a face. 'And that's a reason to beat me up?'

She rolled her eyes. 'Don't be so dramatic. It won't even leave a bruise.'

I pouted. 'You don't know that.' She grinned, leaned up and brushed her lips past my ear. 'Do you want me to kiss the boo-boo away?'

I laughed softly. 'Save that for after the movie.' She laughed. 'Deal.'

'What movie?' The pimply boy behind the counter interrupted. I frowned and looked at him, noting that he was very busy staring at _my_ date. I get it—she looked amazing tonight, but still.

She was _my_ date.

'Two for 'De Lift',' I said loudly, snapping him out of his haze. Ugly red stains appeared on his cheeks as he said, 'ID, please.' I rolled my eyes and pulled out my ID. Jen, as usual, was completely oblivious to the fact he had practically eye-fucked her.

Finally, he handed me the tickets. 'Have fun, sir,' he said scornfully, sadly staring after us as we walked away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Jen poked me again. 'Ouch, dang it, Jen!' I cursed. She frowned. 'Why were you so rude to him?'

I bit my lip and decided to play dumb. 'What do you mean?' She rolled her eyes. 'Don't play dumb with me, Harris. You know what I mean.'  
>I sighed and gave in. 'He can't just go eye-raping my date without being at least scolded for it.' She grinned. 'He wasn't eye-raping me. And were you jealous?'<p>

I shook my head. 'No. Of course not.' I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks. _Dang it. _As we reached our seats, she laughed softly. 'Oh my God. You _were_ jealous.' She leaned closer. 'You know you don't have to be, right? I'm here with you, not with some stupid pimply Sinjin kind of guy.'

I laughed involuntarily. 'I know. But still.'

She sighed and forced me to turn my head, to look in her eyes. 'André,' she said, her voice being the only thing that kept me from losing myself in her eyes, 'You know I don't want to be here with anyone else but you.'  
>I opened my mouth to say something, a clever retort of some sort, but she gave me no chance to say anything.<p>

Moving suddenly, she pressed her lips on mine, locking her fingers in my hair, smiling slightly when I subconsciously let my hand slide up to cup her face.  
>My heart started beating erratically, but I knew a movie theater wasn't the best place to make out, especially when you didn't want your date's big brother to find out.<p>

She seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because she leaned back, her chocolate eyes gazing intently into mine. 'Okay?' she breathed. I noted her lips were swollen. Slowly, I nodded. 'Okay.'

At that moment, the lights went out and the opening credits started. Jen turned to the screen, her fingers still laced with mine, her head resting on my shoulder.

I sighed. _Oh, how I love Jenssen Oliver. _

An hour later, the evil elevator had already killed seven people, and Jen's face was buried in my shirt as she kept whispering, 'Is it over? Is it over? Is it over?'  
>I grinned slightly, wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pressed my lips on her hair. 'Almost. Don't look.'<p>

Of course, when I said she shouldn't look, she did. She looked up just in time to see the elevator decapitate one of the people inside.  
>She squealed – as did most people – and buried her face in my shirt again. 'André,' she scolded in a blaming tone. I frowned. 'Hey, I told you not to look.' She huffed indignantly and chose to steal a glance at the screen again, moaning when her favorite character was sliced in half as the elevator doors closed.<p>

'How much longer does this last?' she whispered, biting her lip, her gaze directed at me, carefully not looking at the screen. 'An hour,' I replied, grinning when she groaned.

She rested her head against my neck, still not looking at the screen and sighed. 'I can't believe you let me talk you into this.' I smiled. 'You wanted to see a horror movie.' Her breath tickled my neck. 'I changed my mind.'

'Please,' she whispered, 'Can't we just go home? I can't sit through another hour.' At that, I actually wanted to laugh. I'd known she wanted to say that ever since the first person had been killed.

I let her suffer for a few more seconds before nodding. She sighed in relief, got up and nearly sprinted outside. I followed her, still laughing softly, muttering apologies to everyone I had to pass.

Once outside, I found Jen leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. As she spotted me, she jumped up, wrapped her arms around me and whispered, 'Promise me you'll never let me see a horror movie again, no matter what I say.' I breathed in deeply, enjoying the rich scent of her perfume.

'I promise.'

She leaned back. 'So can you take me home now?' Somehow, my smile seemed to be stuck permanently. I nodded. 'Sure thing. Your place or mine?'  
>She bit her lip in thought. 'Is your mom back yet?' I shook my head. 'Nah. Next week. Angie's staying over with my dad too, so my place is empty. Why? Is Beck home?'<p>

She shook her head. 'No, I think he's staying over with Tori, but my dad's home, so . . .' I smiled. 'So if we do hook up, I'll have to drive to my house.'  
>She smiled suggestively. 'You know, I don't usually put out on the first date.' I laughed. 'You might've thought of that just a little bit earlier.'<p>

She grinned. 'Good point.'

As we walked back to my car, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, grinning when she reached up to lace her fingers with mine.

'Hey André?' she asked, leaning against the car door.

'Yeah?'

'I'm sorry I'm making you lie to you best friend.'

I stopped dead, staring at her. 'Where did that come from?' She bit her lip en then shrugged. 'I don't know. I just know how much you hate lying to people. And I'm sorry I'm making you lie.'

I pulled her into a hug, warmth blooming in the pit of my stomach. 'God, I love you,' I whispered in her ear before I fully realized what I had just said. She stiffened in my arms for a short moment and then wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my face closer to hers.

As I looked into her eyes, I noted unshed tears shining in them. 'Jen, sweetheart,' I whispered, moving my hand up to caress her cheek, but she stopped me halfway, interlocking our fingers.

For a moment, it seemed as if she studied my hand closely, before she pressed a kiss on it. She looked up, the full impact of her dazzling eyes hitting me, and replied, 'I love you too.'

* * *

><p><strong>BECK'S POV – Beck's RV<strong>

My mind was being obliterated with every passing second. Tori was kissing me with so much fervor, I could hardly remember how to breathe.

But I had something very important to ask her. And by the rate things were going now, it didn't really seem like I was going to say anything sensible anytime soon.

Slowly, I pushed Tori up, her lips making a popping noise as they parted with mine. She pouted me, and I noted her lips were swollen and her hair was all frizzled. And that was just after one tiny kiss.  
>'Tori,' I whispered, moving my hand through her hair. God, she was so beautiful.<p>

'Beck,' she whispered in reply, smiling naughtily at me. 'Why did you stop?'  
>I sighed and sat up, grinning as she shifted in my lap, her arms still around my neck. 'I wanted to talk to you about something, and you make it extremely hard for me to even think when you're kissing me.' She blushed and laughed softly.<p>

'So, what did you want to say?' she said, moving slightly closer, unintentionally grinding into my lap—once again obliterating my mind.  
>I groaned loudly—I really couldn't help myself—and pulled her closer to kiss her again. She snaked her fingers through my hair, slowly pushing me back down on the couch. And though I knew it wasn't a good idea—I let her do it.<p>

I needed her. Whenever her lips touched mine, I instantly craved more.

She dragged her tongue past my lower lip, begging for entrance, a request to which I happily obliged. My other hand wove into her beautiful, soft, silky hair, pulling her even closer. She just couldn't get close enough.  
>Slowly, I slipped my hands under her shirt, growling softly as she bit my lip and pressed herself onto me.<p>

I felt like I was on fire.

I moved my lips down to her neck, smiling as she moaned softly. She dragged her fingers down my spine, causing me to shiver, and moaned, 'Beck. . .' Then, without any sort of warning, she slipped her hands under my shirt, and I felt a bolt of electricity jump straight to my groin.  
>Wasting no time, I moved my lips back up to hers, pressing into her, desperate for her touch.<p>

She smiled into the kiss and pulled my shirt up, attempting to pull it over my head. Stupidly, I stopped her, pushing her up again, breaking the kiss.  
>She frowned at me. 'Okay. What is it? Why do you keep stopping me?' I sighed. 'Because I have to ask you something, and I can't do that when you're kissing me in such a way that'll make me forget about everything.'<p>

Her lips were swollen. I loved it.

'Okay,' she began, biting her lip slightly and ever so sexily, 'Ask me.' I sighed softly. _Why was I so nervous? It's not like I hadn't dated girls before._  
>I shrugged off my thoughts and looked up at Tori.<p>

'Tori Vega,' I started, my heart beating extremely and unhealthily fast, 'Will you be my girlfriend?'

* * *

><p><strong>JEN'S POV – later<strong>

I felt like . . . Like . . . Like I don't know what!

He loved me. André Harris, the superhot, senior, crazy talented musician loved me!

And I can't even begin to explain how good that felt – knowing he was falling just as hard and fast as I was. Knowing I wasn't an inexperienced stupid little girl who just happened to fall for her brother's best friend.

Currently, André and I were curled up on his sofa together, watching a more appropriate movie to my taste. At least, I think.  
>André kept leaning over to kiss me, thus, I had seen little of the movie itself. I could hear his heart beat as I rested my head on his chest.<p>

André chuckled when one of the characters in the movie tripped and fell face-first into a dung pile. The vibration of his chuckle ran through my body, intensifying every single tingle he already made me feel.  
>My phone beeped on the table, startling both of us. Annoyed already with whoever sent the text, I got up and reached for my phone.<p>

**Beck: Hey lil sis. Where you at?**

I groaned. It was eleven PM already. _Dang it. _

I turned and looked at André. He smiled. 'Do you want me to drive you home?'  
>I smiled. 'How did you know?' He pulled me back into his arms and pressed a kiss on my hair. 'You look like you have to go to a funeral.' I laughed softly.<p>

'Could you though?' I asked, 'Drive me home, I mean?' He nodded. 'Of course I can.'

So, groaning, I got up, reached for my jacket, and pouted when André didn't move from the couch.  
>'André,' I whined, leaning over him, trying to pull him up, 'Come on, you said you'd –' I stopped when he yanked me down on his lap, crushing his lips on mine immediately.<p>

And, stupidly, I let him drag me into a very hot kiss that soon turned to a make out session. When he reached down for my jeans, I realized I didn't want to. Not tonight. 'Baby,' I whispered, reaching for his hands. 'Not tonight. Not the first date,' I said, when he looked up in confusion.

For a moment, he stayed still, his hands frozen where I stopped him.

Then, he cracked the widest smile I'd ever seen. 'Such a lady,' he grinned. I blushed and let him pull me up from the couch, straightening my shirt as I did.  
>When I leaned down to pick up my jacket, I caught André staring at me, a slight smile playing his lips.<p>

I grinned. 'Why are you staring at me?' He blushed and looked down. 'I'm not staring.'

'Yes, you are.'

He blushed more, bit his lip and turned around, opening the front door. 'Come on,' he said, still not looking at me, 'Wouldn't want Beck to get worried, would we?' I smiled softly and walked outside, giving him a quick peck on the lips as I passed him. I heard his heavy sigh behind me and grinned.

He was so cute when he was shy.

As he drove me home, he still held my hand, my fingers locked with his. My hand just fit perfectly in his. His smile had me feeling all weak and wobbly—why did he do that to me? How did he?

'Hey André,' I said, studying the way our hands just fit perfectly.

'Yeah, babe?'

'I had fun tonight.'

He smiled. 'Despite the scary movie?'

I rolled my eyes. 'Despite the scary movie.'

He parked the car a little further down the street, knowing Beck would probably be looking through the window of his RV.

'Thanks for the date,' I said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, 'and for the ride home.' As I wanted to get out, André didn't let go of my hand and pulled me back into his car. 'Jen, I . . .' He swallowed and blushed.  
>'Spit it out,' I said, wondering what the hell had André acting wonky all of a sudden.<p>

He flashed a grin and gazed down at our hands.

Then he blurted, 'Will you be my girlfriend?'

* * *

><p><strong>I love how there's still some interest in this story :D Anyway, yeah, there are still big things coming in the next few chapters-which are already mostly written, so they won't take long-and there's lots of drama, romance and Hollywood Artsy stuff to come :D<strong>

**I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this chapter; please do let me know in a review!**

**SHOUTOUT:**

**jjohnson612: I'm glad you like the tension and the love between the both of them, I wasn't sure if that came across right :D Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that ;) Beck is and will be one of the biggest obstacles they meet, though what André and Jade have (or had) is going to cause some trouble too :D  
>Oh, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't ;)<strong>

**I think the most important part to remember while reading this story is that we don't know Jen's entire story yet; we don't know what made her this insecure and scared; we don't know why Beck might be overprotective of her. **

**Tori doesn't know yet, does she :D She does know they're close, and ... Well, let's just say the next chapter shows how she feels about that :D  
>I loved your long review, don't be silly :D Feel free to give me more of those ;)<strong>

**That's it! I'll have the next chapter up soon! **

**R&R!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	15. Bet

**I had to split this in two, it was getting too long :D No cliffies, though, and the next part'll be up soon!**

**More ranting below, I'll let you read first :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx Annaelle**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter fifteen – Bet<strong>

**JEN'S POV**

I felt like I was floating—my head was swimming, and I was hardly aware of my surroundings as I walked up to my house, waving at Beck as I passed his RV.

My skin was tingling and my heart was racing. André Harris asked me to be his girlfriend! I was so psyched!

And he'd been so sweet and nervous.

_'Jen?' André whispered, his voice quivering slightly. 'If you don't want to, that's fine, I get it, I just thought that . . . You know, I thought . . .' I never found out just what he had thought. Not allowing him to finish his nervous rambling, I pulled his lips to mine, kissing him softly, giving him my answer in one kiss._

_When I finally leaned back, his breathing was heavy, and his eyes were gleaming. 'Is that a yes?' He said, biting his lip._

_ I rolled my eyes before nodding. 'Of course it is, you big nut ball. I love you.' _

_He grinned. _

_I smiled at him, but then, realization hit me. 'André,' I said, not taking my eyes of his, 'is this a public thing or a secret thing?' He sighed. 'If we make it public, we'll have to tell Beck.' _

_I groaned. I didn't want to think about what my overprotective brother would say when I told him I was dating his best friend. _

_Biting my lower lip, I whispered, 'Can't we keep it to ourselves? Just for now? Until we find a way to tell Beck?' I saw something flash in his eyes_—_disappointment, fear?_ —_before he replied, 'Of course. Just our secret. For now.' _

What had I ever done right to deserve someone like him?

Once inside, I dropped myself on my bed, not bothering to undress, gingerly touching my tingling lips.

How could one guy make me feel so many things?

So confusing, so annoying.

So addictive.

Right then and there, I swore to myself I would never give up what I had with André, no matter how wrong everyone would think it was.

If it was so wrong, how could it feel so natural, so right?

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – HOLLYWOOD ARTS – MONDAY<strong>

My heart was all jumpy and jittery. So stupidly girly.

Jen and I had Advanced Songwriting together in a moment. I wanted to scream, shout, tell everyone she was mine, but . . . I'd promised her not to.  
>I couldn't even tell my best friend about it, and for some reason, I was okay with that.<p>

I sighed softly and got my books from my locker, startling when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around to find Jade tapping her foot, looking exceedingly annoyed.

_Oh boy. _

'Jade,' I said, suddenly feeling highly uncomfortable. She scowled. 'André. You didn't call me back. Nor did you show up when I asked you to.' I bit my lip.

'Look, Jade, I told you. I don't want to do this anymore.' She threw her hands up and yelled, 'Do what, Harris? According to you, there was nothing going on between us in the first place!' I glanced around, noting everyone was staring at us. 'Jade, please,' I urged, 'keep your voice down. People are staring.'

She laughed madly. 'Perfect! Let everyone know that I called _you_ when Beck and I broke up, and that _you_ didn't stop me when I wanted to fu–' Panic fluttering everywhere in my body, I covered her mouth with my hand. 'Jade, stop it. Please.'

She threw off my hand and pushed me back. 'Fine. Perfect. But you'll regret this. Know that.' With those ominous words, she walked away, leaving me wondering what the hell I had done. I turned to my locker and hit the keys, playing my favourite doom melody. 'Dum, dum, dum,' I muttered under my breath.

The first warning bell rang, snapping me out of my self-pitying haze. 'Hey Dré,' a familiar and—thank God—not-Jade voice called. I turned around and tried to smile when Tori ran to catch up with me. 'How was your weekend?' She asked, panting slightly. I smiled at my memories. 'Pretty uneventful,' I lied, 'Yours? How were things with Beck?'

She blushed. 'Fine, André.' She didn't say anything for a moment and then squealed, 'He asked me to be his girlfriend!' I grinned at my best friend's excitement and hugged her. 'Awesome, Tor. Was about time too.' She frowned. 'What do you mean?' I groaned. 'Oh, come on. You two have been batting your lashes at each other ever since you met.'

She slapped my arm. 'We have not!' 'Ouch, Tor,' I mumbled, 'Sure you didn't. Whatever you say.' She smiled. 'Good boy. Anyway, did you make up with Jen?' I frowned, calling on my acting skills, nearly dropping my book, 'Who said we were fighting?' Tori rolled her eyes, dropped her books in her locker and grabbed another. 'You two have been best friends ever since she got here. And especially since Beck and I started dating. So, you know, I kind of noticed when you stopped talking to each other.'

I leaned against the locker next to hers, frowning. I could've known Tori would know. She usually knew stuff about me before I did. 'Yeah, I talked to her, and I guess we made up. Even though we weren't really fighting.'

Tori grinned. 'So how was your date?' I nearly dropped my stuff again. 'W . . . What date?' She smiled. 'The girl you didn't want to tell me about? The hot one?' I managed a smug smile. 'All the girls I date are hot.' She laughed. 'Don't be so cocky. Now tell me.'  
>I grinned. 'Well, she's a good kisser. And she doesn't like horror movies.' Tori was about to reply when Jen walked up to us, Beck trailing right behind her. My heart started beating slightly faster as Jen smiled at me. Beck smiled at Tori, reaching for her hand and pulled her closer to kiss her. Jen groaned. 'Get a room, you two.' Tori leaned back from the kiss, leaving Beck pouting.<p>

'Just wait until you get a boyfriend,' she smirked at Jen, pulling Beck closer once again. I rolled my eyes at Tori's comment. _If only she knew who my date had been last Saturday. . _. I grinned when Jen groaned, grabbed my hand and pulled me away, muttering, 'Come on, Songwriting.'

I let Jen drag me through the hall, smiling apologetically at Tori and Beck, but stopped when I saw that they were too busy making out to notice.

Once we'd turned around the corner, I stopped her, pulling her closer by her hand. 'André,' she whined, 'Come on, we're in the middle of the corridor. People could see us.' I sighed, looked around, found a door, pushed it open and pulled Jen into the abandoned classroom.

'Better?' She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.

'Much.'

I smiled, pushing her back against the door softly. 'You know we shouldn't do this at school,' she whispered, her lips inches from mine, 'where we could get caught any minute. . .' My heart pounding dangerously fast, I replied, 'Isn't that what makes this all the more exciting?'

She sniggered, blushing as I caressed her cheek. Just as I leaned in to press my lips to hers, the second bell rang, signalling we were late for class. I sighed and wanted to pull away, but Jen didn't loosen her grip one bit.  
>'Jen,' I whispered, 'We've got Songwriting.' She shook her head. 'You aren't going anywhere until you've kissed me.'<p>

I groaned softly. _This wasn't a good idea._ 'Jen, baby, now isn't a good time. People are going to be here any minute.' She smiled. 'Wasn't that the exciting part?' Adding deed to her words, she caressed my cheek, pulling my lips to hers. And I knew I had kissed her before, but that didn't stop me from being amazed at the taste and softness of her lips.

I tightened my grip on her waist, grinning slightly when she gasped. I leaned back, breaking the kiss before either of us could get lost in it.  
>'Now we really got to go.' She sighed. 'Fine.' I grinned at her obvious reluctance. 'Come on, babe, it's songwriting. You love songwriting.' She bit her lip, her eyes large and irresistible. 'I love kissing you more.'<p>

Grinning, I kissed her softly before I opened the door and pulled her back into the empty corridor. She sighed, refusing to let go of my hand, and followed me into our Songwriting Class. Luckily for us, Antony wasn't there yet, but the rest of our class was.

I took the seat behind Jen's, finally getting her to let go of my hand. 'Hey André,' she whispered, so only I could hear, 'I love you.'  
>I smiled at her. 'I love you too,' I replied as Antony walked into the classroom, effectively ending our conversation.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – LUNCH – ASPHALT CAFÉ<strong>

I stared at my French fries, trying to shake off the feeling that had me craving Jen. I just hoped – at least the rational part of me did – that she wouldn't sit with us at lunch today; I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep my hands off her if she'd sit next to me.

Which she would, if she sat with us. Tori was sitting next to Beck, holding hands, Cat and Robbie were sitting together, flirting, Trina was annoying everyone and I was the only other option to sit next to.

No way Jen would sit next to Trina if she could help it.

'So, do you guys want to?' Tori asked, looking around the table. I snapped out of my thoughts, wondering what I had missed. 'Want to what?' Tori grinned.  
>'Zoned out on us again, did you?' I smirked. 'Yeah. I guess. So do we want to do what?'<p>

Tori opened her mouth to say something, but Jen interrupted her, walking up to us, her lunch in hand. 'Hey guys. What are you talking about?' I saw her eyes flicker to the empty seat next to Trina, before she sighed and sat down next to me, as I knew she would.  
>'So Jen, we were actually discussing how André keeps zoning out on us lately.' She turned to me and smiled. 'Yeah, he has been doing that a lot. Maybe it's his new girlfriend.'<p>

Tori squealed, Beck nearly choked on his drink and I spit out my drink all over the table. 'You have a girlfriend? Oh my chizz! Who is she? Do I know her? Is it that girl you went on a date with? You didn't tell me the date was that good!' Tori cried, nearly jumping over the table in excitement. Cat merely giggled. Jen grinned slightly as she opened her bottle of water, smirking at me as I shot her an angry glance.  
>'She's not my girlfriend. It's just this girl I've been on a couple of dates with. And you,' I poked Jen, 'know that.'<p>

She smiled brightly and turned to her Veggie Burger. When I managed to tear my gaze from her, I saw Tori look at us with a little too much interest.  
>'So,' I started, 'What were you going to say?' Tori shook her head slightly, as if she was dazed, and then smiled.<br>'Oh, yeah, I was just wondering if you guys want to go to Karaoke Dokie with us? You know, like a triple date.'

I frowned. 'How is it a triple date when only you and Beck and Robbie and Cat are dating?' Tori bit her lip.  
>Jen laughed softly and poked me. 'Aw, André, we can always pretend to be dating, so Tori can have her double date with two other couples.' Beck's head snapped up at her words, and I noticed the devious smile on Jen's lips.<br>She loved teasing everyone, and this was the best way to tease Beck. I turned to her, wrapped my arm around her shoulder said, 'Yeah, we could do that.'

Cat and Tori laughed, Robbie just looked confused and Beck glared at me. 'Man,' Rex yelled, 'Stay away from my woman!' Jen turned and glared at him, 'I'm not your woman. And by the way,' She smirked in my direction, 'you could never make me feel all ... _Good_ ... like he does.' Beck cleared his throat, and Jen turned to him, her hand resting on my leg under the table. Tingles and liquid fire spread throughout my leg, and I had to focus on not dragging her into a very hot and very forbidden kiss right here and now.

'Okay, you two. That's enough acting for one lunch,' Beck said, receiving a playful punch from Tori. Jen smiled and replied, 'Who said we were acting?'  
>Tori grinned and even Beck couldn't hide his smile. 'Whatever,' he grinned, 'date all you want. I bet you guys won't even last until Friday.' I raised an eyebrow. 'Is that a challenge?' Beck smirked at me. 'Are you telling me you are cool with pretend-dating my sister for an entire week?' Jen grabbed my hand. 'Of course he is. So, is that a bet?' Beck smiled. 'Deal. If you lose, you clean my RV for a month. If I lose . . .' He trailed off. I exchanged a glance with Jen, trying to think of something good to make him do. Tori smirked at me.<p>

'Well, I can't think of anything good now, but you have to do whatever I tell you to,' Jen finally said, eyeing her brother with a radiant smile on her lips.  
>She held out her hand. 'So do we have a bet?' Beck glanced at her. 'Just to be clear, you guys have to do everything a real couple would too. Holding hands, dating, kissing, all that. Look at it as a method acting exercise. You two play a young, madly in love couple.' I pretended to be taken aback by that before I nodded. 'Deal.' And finally, he shook Jen's hand.<p>

Jen jumped up in fake victory and yelled, 'Yes!' She quickly sat down again and pressed her lips on mine.

I heard gasps all around the table, Cat laughing and Rex scolding. But instead of pulling away, I let my hands rest on her hips, pulling her slightly closer as I kissed her back. Her fingers somehow found their way to my hair again, and she twisted them in my dreads, pulling me closer, changing the angle to our kiss slightly.  
>Slowly, before either of us would do something stupid, she leaned away and broke the kiss, winking at me before she turned to Rex. 'I got another reason why I should be dating André and not you.'<p>

Rex frowned – at least, as much as he could – and Jen smirked, 'He kisses way better than you do.' Beck and Tori chuckled softly and Cat giggled. I studied Jen's elated expression, trying to suppress the fear of being caught, and smiled slightly when I noticed her lips were pink and swollen.

Before Rex could reply, the bell rang, and dismissed our lunch. Jen looked down at her Burger and pouted. 'Aww. I didn't finish my Burger.'  
>Tori grinned. 'Maybe you should focus on eating more instead of your blossoming love for André.' A smile spread on Jen's face and she bit her lip. 'I'll do that, Tor.'<p>

With that, Tori and Beck got up and walked away, holding hands, looking all lovey-dovey as they did. Cat and Robbie quickly walked away too, leaving me to wait for Jen. As soon as they were out of earshot, I raised an eyebrow at her. 'What was that about?'

She smiled innocently at me. 'What was what about?' I rolled my eyes.  
>'You know what I mean. The kiss. Was that really necessary? You had Beck suspicious enough as it was.' She got up, threw the remains of her Veggie Burger in the trash and smiled at me. 'You weren't complaining while I was kissing you.' I rolled my eyes. 'In case you hadn't noticed, my lips were pre-occupied at that moment. I couldn't have complained even if I wanted to.' She grinned and reached for my hand. 'André, don't you get this? If we're supposed to be fake-dating all week, we'll have an excuse to hold hands, kiss and be all the lovey-dovey we want, and Beck won't be able to tell us off.'<p>

Finally catching up with her logic, I felt a smile spread on my face. 'So if we're dating,' I started, but she interrupted me, '_If_?'  
>I rolled my eyes, 'You know what I mean. If we're dating, does that mean I can kiss you whenever I want to, wherever I want to?' She smiled slyly.<p>

'Yes, it does.'

I flashed a smile. 'Awesome.'

She slapped my arm, grinning when I pulled her closer to kiss her softly. 'Come on,' she whispered when I leaned back, reaching for my hand, 'We have to get to class.' I smiled and let her lace her fingers with mine. We walked back to school, holding hands, receiving several quizzical looks from our fellow students.

At the door, she turned to me, pouting. 'I have to get to Piano class.' I grinned at her. 'Aww, poor you.' She rolled her eyes and leaned up, briefly pressing her lips on mine. As she leaned back, I whispered, 'Are we hanging out tonight?'  
>She smiled and nodded. 'Sure. Your place?' I bit my lip. 'Okay, but Angie's home.'<p>

Her smile faltered for a second, but returned so fast, I thought I imagined it. 'Doesn't matter. I get to spend time with you anyway.'

With that, she turned and walked away, her curls bouncing slightly. I sighed.

_Man, I love that girl._

* * *

><p><strong>ANDRÉ'S POV – That night<strong>

I'm not sure what she told Beck, all I know is she showed up tonight, as promised, and told me she was staying all night. If I wanted her to. Which, of course, I did. My beautiful girlfriend wanted to stay over – I'd be questioning my own sanity if I'd say no.

She had hijacked my laptop five minutes ago when I went to get us some drinks, and now seemed to amuse herself by checking out every single video I had on my Slap profile.

I was about to ask her what she was watching when that horrible song rung from the speakers.

_I like to talk about food  
>Cause it's my favourite thing to do<br>Every treat from yellow to blue  
>. . . <em>

I groaned. 'Do you have to be watching that? It's embarrassing.' She smiled up at me. 'Aw, it's not that bad.' She took the can of Coke Zero I was holding out for her and paused the video.  
>I sat down next to her and frowned at the frozen picture. Tori and I were in the middle of our dance.<p>

'I hate looking like a big blob of stupid spaghetti,' I whined, ignoring the tingles her presence gave me. She laughed and set the laptop aside, wrapping her arms around my neck. 'You do know spaghetti's my favourite food, right?'  
>Catching up with her mood, I pulled her onto my lap, smiling mischievously. 'I thought pizza was your favourite food?' She leaned closer, bringing her lips only an inch from mine. 'Seeing you in a stupid spaghetti costume and Robbie in a pizza costume,' she frowned slightly, 'changed my mind.'<p>

Still grinning, I leaned in, crossing the final inch between us, pressing my lips on hers. She whimpered slightly before twisting her fingers in my dreads, pulling my face closer to hers. I grunted slightly when she knocked me down on my back, but there was no way I was going to let her win.  
>Moving too fast for her to react, I flipped us and pushed her into the mattress, grinning slightly into the kiss as she gasped.<p>

'ANDRÉ!' My sister suddenly blared from the other room, startling me and Jen. I broke the kiss, leaving my girlfriend pouting, and got up to see what was wrong with Angie this time.

I got in the other room just in time to see my sister fall over, my mom's wedding dress wrapped around her legs, the sleeves and veil trapping her arms.  
>Trying hard to bite back a laugh, I pulled my crumpled shirt straighter and went to help her out.<p>

_Oh, babysitting my sister could be so amusing._

* * *

><p><strong>JEN'S POV<strong>

I sat up, running a hand through my hair, and smiled as I heard André's muffled laugh from the other room.  
>Sometimes, I'd feel really annoyed when Angie interrupted us, but somehow, I wasn't all too mad about it now. I mean, I knew André was supposed to babysit her now, so he should be with her instead of me.<p>

Leaning back into the pillows, I picked up his laptop again, logging onto my own Slap account. Noting that Tori had left me a message, I tried to open my inbox, cursing slightly when the laptop blocked and refused to do anything else.

I quickly discarded the now useless laptop to André's nightstand and settled for staring at the ceiling. I'd told Beck I was sleeping over with a friend, and though he believed it, I hated having to lie to him again.  
>Sure, I lied of my own choice, because André was all for telling Beck, but I still didn't like it. And I only lied to protect André and Beck's friendship.<p>

I knew my brother. And I knew he'd kill André if he knew we were dating for real. I used to wonder why Beck was so protective of me, and God knows, I'd asked him millions of times, but all I'd ever gotten out of him was that he was just worried about me after everything that had happened. That's why I took the bet. Maybe, if Beck saw how André and I interacted, and how sweet he was, maybe he wouldn't be that pissed if he found out we were really dating.

My thoughts redirected to André, and I turned, burying my face in his pillow. It smelled just like him – sweet, musky, and so addictive.  
>I couldn't believe how much I loved him. How much I needed him. Seriously, I'd been dating him for like two weeks, and I couldn't live without him already.<br>'Baby, what are you doing?' André asked as he walked into the room again. I looked up from the pillow and smiled at him. 'Trying to imagine the pillow is you.' He flashed a smile as he closed the door behind him. 'So now I have to compete against my own pillow?'

As he reached the edge of the bed, I sat up, grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips to mine. 'The pillow loses,' I whispered between the kisses.  
>He grinned into the kiss, slowly easing me down onto the bed again, his fingers slowly tracing circles on my tummy.<br>I groaned softly as he rolled on top of me, sliding his hands under my shirt completely.

Though I longed for his touch, I remembered we weren't alone in the house.  
>'Mmm,' I managed between kisses, 'André . . . Mmm . . . What . . . Angie . .. Mmm. . . Baby . . .' He leaned back and smiled slightly. 'She's in bed, it's eleven PM already.'<p>

I smiled. 'So, I've got you all to myself?' He grinned. 'I'm all yours.'  
>In response, I pressed my lips on his again, pulling him down on top of me, wrapping my legs around his waist, effectively keeping him there. His sensual kissing was driving me mad with desire.<p>

He pulled my shirt over my head, setting a clear tone for the rest of the night.

He groaned, bucking his hips against mine, causing the throbbing between my legs to intensify, his hardness grazing against my core.  
>'Jen,' he whispered, 'I don't want to hurt you again.' I hadn't meant for him to find out it had hurt last time we had made love, but he kind of figured when he saw the tear tracks on my cheeks. But I loved him.<br>And I wanted him so bad. 'You won't,' I whispered in reply, bucking my hips against his again, making his resolve crumble.

I kissed him again, and slowly, he started kissing me back, and he didn't stop me when I pulled his shirt over his head, nor when I reached down to unbutton his jeans.

I spent the night in his passionate embrace-and I loved every second of it.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all so much for all the love I got for last chapter! Thanks for all every review, fave and follow :D <strong>

**This chapter was inexusably fluffy-I needed Jen and André to develop their relationship a bit more. We are going to find out more about Jen's past and the reason for Beck's overprotectiveness in the next few chapters :D _  
><em>**

**And Jade? Yeah... She's not done yet :D **

**Anyway, please let me know what you think! **

**Leave me a pretty little review? It feeds my ravenous muse :p**

**R&R!**

**Xx Annaelle**


	16. Memories

**Please, do enjoy an update that didn't take a lifetime to be ready ;) We are given a glimpse into Jen's past, and the underlying reason for her trust issues.**

**Thank you for everyone who is still reading, and who reviewed, faved, alerted or just read the last chapter :-) I love you guys!**

**Special shout-out for JustSmileBFF, without whom this story never would've come into existence ;) You should all check out her story 'Finding My Way', which is an André/OC fic too.. I know I love it!**

**Okay, I'm done talking.. I'll have the next chapter up soon! **

**Love**

**Annaelle**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter sixteen — Memories<strong>

**ANDRÉ'S POV — Sikowitz's classroom — Friday**

'Okay everyone,' Sikowitz roared as everyone sat down again after a crazy drive-by acting exercise. I smiled at Jen as she sat down next to me again, wrapping my arm around her shoulders immediately.  
>I caught Beck's eye and winked, grinning slightly when he scowled. He'd been trying to trick us all week, trying to get us to break character.<p>

But of course, since we weren't really acting, there was no way he'd get us to break character. And he only had until tonight before Jen and I would win the bet.

I leaned closer to her and whispered, 'Your brother is scowling at us.' She looked up and smiled at Beck, before roughly pulling me closer by the collar of my shirt, crashing her lips on mine. I smirked into the kiss, slipping my hand into her hair. She smiled into the kiss and licked at the seam of my lips, begging for entrance. I let her in gladly and had to focus on my breathing to avoid getting too caught up in the kiss. Finally, she broke the kiss, smirking slightly at me, before turning back to face the stage, where Sikowitz was groaning.

'You guys take method acting way too serious,' he complained, and Jen laughed softly. 'Sorry Sikowitz,' she smirked, leaning a bit closer to me.

'Anyway,' he said, 'what I was going to say . . . I want you all to close your eyes.' Frowning and with a lot of mutters, we complied. I smelled Jen's perfume close to me, and I couldn't help but smile.  
>'Picture yourself in ten years' time. You have a kid. What will the kid be doing?'<p>

I frowned. 'Why?'

'Just do it!'

I sighed and tried to picture a kid—my kid—but I couldn't, for some reason. Then Jen moved slightly next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

Immediately pictures of a baby girl with Jen's swirling chocolate brown eyes, cute dark curls and a dark skin formed in my mind. She was so the perfect mix of me and Jen. Honestly, the sudden change from being unable to imagine anything, to seeing a life with Jen so easily scared the hell out of me. I'd never imagined a life with anyone I'd dated before.

And why would I? I was nineteen.

Sure, I was graduating this year, but the biggest decision I had yet faced was whether or not to audition for college.

'So,' Sikowitz yelled, breaking me from my thoughts roughly, 'What's the kid doing?'

'Watching delirious kiddie shows,' Jade replied, earning many mumbles in agreement.

'Alright, open your eyes!' Sikowitz bellowed.

'Now tell me what your favourite show was as a kid,' he said, sitting down on the stage, beaming in excitement.

I frowned, and Beck said, 'What does that have to do with acting?' Sikowitz looked positively baffled, and I would've laughed, if I weren't so curious to figure out what he had planned for us this time.  
>'Nothing,' he finally said, 'I just need to fill the time left before the bell rings. And I'm curious to know.'<p>

I grinned, as did most people, except for Jade, who sighed heavily and muttered something about a waste of time. I glanced at Jen and smiled as she rolled her eyes at Jade's comment.

'So, Elvis,' Sikowitz said, turning to Beck, 'What was your favourite show as a kid?' Beck rolled his eyes and shrugged. 'I don't know. The Magic Window, maybe.'  
>'Ooh,' Cat crooned, 'My favourite show was That's Cat! You know, because it's like my name!' She giggled and then began to sing, 'Hey Pumpkin, come along with me, been thin—'<p>

'NO!' Jade bellowed, startling all of us. Jen jumped a little, then cursed under her breath slightly. I grinned as she scooted her chair closer to mine and laced her fingers with mine. 'Jenssen,' Sikowitz said, turning to us, 'What about you?'

Instead of answering, as I thought she would've, she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat and stared at her feet.

After a moment of silence, she whispered, 'I don't know.'

_How can she not know?_ I frowned and said, 'What do you mean, you don't know?' She bit her lip, and opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Beck replied with a soft, 'Sesame Street, Jen. Remember?'

I glanced at him, seeing my confused look mirrored on Tori's face. 'Right,' Jen said, her voice shaking slightly, 'Yeah. Sesame Street.'

As the rest of the class answered Sikowitz's eager questions, I tried to catch Jen's eye, whispering several questions at her, but she somehow managed to ignore me the entire time.

Finally, the bell rang, and everyone started to leave immediately. Beck eyed Jen for a while, before Tori pulled him away. This left me with Jen, alone in the room. She got up and picked up her bag. 'I don't want to talk about this,' she whispered. I reached for her hand and softly complied her to turn around to face me. 'Jen, you can talk to me. You know that.'

She sighed, still avoiding my eye. I got up and cupped her face, forcing her to look me in the eye. She was upset about something, and I wanted to know what it was. 'Jen, talk to me,' I whispered.

She bit her lip and motioned for me to sit down again. 'Look, I don't remember much from when I was a kid. Didn't you wonder why I don't remember anything about LA?'

For a moment, I didn't really comprehend what she was saying. 'What do you mean?' I asked, noting how she squeezed my hand slightly.

'You know how Beck and my parents divorced when I was eight, right?' I nodded. That much, I knew.

She swallowed. 'Well, my mom stayed in LA for a while before we moved to New York, and she got custody over me, but not my brother.' I nodded slowly, not sure where she was going with this, and squeezed her hand.

She swallowed thickly and looked down, the words that fell from her lips barely more than a whisper—I had to strain to hear her. 'I was ten when my mom started dating someone new.. He was really nice, actually.' She smiled, tears sparkling in her eyes. 'He was really sweet, most of the time; I mean, he didn't really like Beck, I think... But I guess I was too young to really remember properly.'

I felt slightly sick as I considered the possibilities of the things she was trying to tell me. 'Okay,' I croaked, wrapping my arms around her, almost as though I needed to remind myself that she was really there, 'Go on.'

She tensed for a split-second when I hugged her, but then nuzzled her nose in the crook of my neck. 'After a while, my mom started talking about moving, and about getting her own career back on track… And he didn't like that.. Apparently.'

She fell silent, as I tried to make sense of what she was saying. 'What happened?' I whispered, almost too afraid to ask—because I wasn't sure if I could handle knowing what she had been through. She swallowed thickly and shrugged lightly. 'I don't remember. I know what happened, because Beck and my dad told me—but I don't remember more than a few flashes and a couple of memories.'

'How come?' The question fell from my lips before I could stop it—I supposed it was some kind of morbid curiosity, and it freaked me the hell out.

'I was in a car accident with my mom's boyfriend—he died on impact... But apparently, he'd been beating me and my mom,' she whispered, a single tear running down her cheek. My stomach seemed to fall to my feet. She bit her lip before continuing, before I even got the chance to process what she was saying. 'He left a note, saying that my mom was worthless, and that I was… And that he was going to kill us both—starting with me; he almost did too.' She wiped at the tear angrily, and my heart clenched at the thought of losing Jen.

'I stayed in a coma for like six months and when I woke up, I didn't remember anything. Not mom, not dad, not Beck. Nothing at all. Not even my own name.'

The last was barely above a whisper.

My heart was beating so slow, I thought, for a moment, that it had stopped. If she'd died . . . I would never have met her . . . Somehow, that thought alone was enough to make my heart feel like it was ready to just give up.

I was stunned. No wonder Beck was so protective of her. He almost lost her once. I couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

Just the thought of it made me feel all wonky in the head.

She swallowed softly and managed a weak smile, while I was desperately trying to process what she was telling me. 'Back then, the doctors told us the likelihood of me regaining my memories were fifty-fifty because I sustained serious head injuries. As time passed, I only got a few memories back, and I learned to live with it. I still don't remember though. And when we moved to New York… I didn't need those memories.'

'Woah,' I managed to whisper, 'I'm sorry, I wouldn't have pushed if I'd kno—' She shook her head. 'Don't. I would've told you sooner or later anyway. It's just...' She sighed, and hugged me a little closer. 'It's not easy letting people in anymore—after Mike, and my mom… And even my dad.. I'm trying,' she pulled back and smiled at me through her tears, and that made me want to kiss her and hug her and hide her away from the world to keep her safe all at the same time. 'I'm trying, and I love you, and you help so much.. But it's never going to be easy.'

I frowned, feeling guilt for being so pushy building up inside of me. 'But still, I shouldn't have pushed like that.' She smiled and pressed her lips on mine very shortly.

'Don't worry about it, okay?' She leaned, leaning back slightly, resting her forehead against mine. I couldn't stop the smile on my lips from appearing. 'I love you,' I whispered. She smiled. 'I know you do. I love you too.'

* * *

><p><strong>Tori's house — that night — JEN'S POV<strong>

Tori grinned at me. 'Oh come on, Jen. You look great. Your _boyfriend_ is going to be drooling at you.' I laughed softly at her silly expression. I glanced at the mirror again, nervously pulling down the shirt I was wearing. Obviously letting Tori and Cat choose my outfit was a mistake.

I felt so weird.

I was wearing a tight dark jeans, super high heels in which I could hardly stand up straight and a tight dark purple shirt with wide sleeves that fluttered around my elbows. It was low cut though. Really low cut. You could see part of my lace bra.

Which was what freaked me out most.

Biting my lip, I turned around to Tori. 'Are you sure I can wear this? I feel like a clown.' Cat giggled. 'Beck is going to go mad when he sees his little sister like this.' I smiled and plopped down on the bed next to Cat, who immediately attacked me with her makeup-kit. She'd already done my hair — she'd made me wear it in braids all day today, so now it was all curled and wavy, but not too messy.

I was nervous for tonight. I mean, it's not like André and I hadn't gone out on a date before, but this was the first time other people were going with us. And we weren't even supposed to be dating for real.

I smirked involuntarily; Beck was going to hate it if André and I won the bet. Which I knew we would.

Cat giggled. 'So, do you think you and André are going to win the bet?' I smiled and closed my eyes when she told me to. 'Of course I do. We've been keeping up appearances for a whole week already. I'm not about to give in now.' Finally, Cat seemed satisfied with my makeup and Tori quickly took my spot when I got up to look in the mirror.

'You know,' Tori said, sounding a bit too thoughtful to my taste, 'you guys make a very convincing couple.' Luckily for me, Cat told Tori to close her eyes at that moment, so she couldn't see my blush.  
>'Well . . . I'll take that as a compliment to my acting skills,' I smirked, sitting down in Tori's desk chair.<p>

Tori opened her eyes as Cat finished putting pink eye shadow on her eyelids and grinned at me. 'Aw, come on. Is it really all acting? I mean, you've got Beck doubting. And I've never seen André stay in character for this long.'

I sighed and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my upper legs. 'Look, André's . . .' I hesitated. '. . . he's really good-looking, but he's _just_ my friend. My _best_ friend. That's the only reason we're able to stay in character.'

Tori grinned. 'Sure. I get that. I've been there. You're forgetting he's my best friend too. But I know it must be great to be allowed to kiss him. Every girl in school wants to kiss him. And we've all been there. Everyone knows he's good with those sweet buttery lips.' I frowned, slightly thrown off by her comment.

'Wait — you've all kissed him?' Tori laughed at my expression, before nodding. 'Yeah. Cat kissed him for a play and Jade kissed him for a bet.' I saw her slight frown, and I couldn't ignore a slight pang of jealousy to my heart. 'What about you?' I asked, my tone perhaps a little bit too harsh.

Tori looked up. 'He kissed me once . . . When he was confused. It was a mistake. He knew that. I knew that. It never happened again, and we don't talk about it.'  
>Cat stopped applying Tori's makeup and looked at her with a frown. 'You never told me about that.'<p>

Tori smiled apologetically. 'André asked me not to.'

An uncomfortable silence fell amongst us for a moment. I couldn't believe André had actually kissed Tori. _And_ Cat. _And_ Jade. I knew it was ridiculous to feel jealous—he had never said he didn't have girlfriends before me; and judging by how well he knew how to use those lips and hands of his, he'd had a lot of them; and I knew I couldn't really hold it against him either—but hearing it from Tori, so casually, like it had been nothing...

It just bothered me.

Before I could contemplate that thought any further, Cat put down the makeup brush and bit her lip. 'I have to tell you guys something.'

The seriousness of her voice snapped me out of my jealous haze. Tori looked up too, confusion present on her features. Cat continued to bite her lip and pulled down the scarf she was wearing, revealing a large hickey. I felt my eyes grow larger in surprise. 'Oh my God, Cat,' I said, jumping up and sitting on the other side of Tori's bed, examining Cat's hickey.

'Cat!' Tori exclaimed, 'Did Robbie do that?' Cat smiled slightly and nodded. 'We . . . We slept together for the first time.' My mouth fell open, and as I looked at Tori, I saw her eyes were as large as saucers. 'So?' I said, as soon as I recovered from the shock slightly. 'How was it?' Cat giggled, regaining some of her usual bubbly self. 'It was really romantic. But it really hurt.' She pouted. 'Is that normal?'

Tori breathed in deeply. 'Well, yeah. The first time, it hurt with me too. What about you, Jen? Have you swapped your V-card?'

As they both turned to me, my heart started pounding, and I tried to think of a lie really fast. 'Um . . . No. I haven't. Haven't had a real boyfriend before, so . . . You know. I'm waiting.' Tori rolled her eyes and nudged at me. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks.

'Oh, come on, Jen,' Tori smirked, 'Save the innocent-chat for Beck. You can tell us.' I bit my lip and suddenly, a very mischievous plan formed in my mind. She wanted details? She'd get her details. 'Well . . .' I began, 'Let's just say André's good with a lot more things than just his lips.'

I knew I'd caught Tori off-guard, but the doorbell interrupted her upcoming reply, and she pouted slightly. I jumped up. 'I'll get it. You finish up, I bet it's the guys.'

Relieved that I could get out of Tori's room, I stumbled down the stairs, tripping on the high heels several times before I reached the bottom of the stairs.

'Damn it, Cat,' I swore under my breath, angrily eyeing the high heels. I managed to get to the door without tripping and forced a smile on my lips as I opened the door.  
>'Hey, we should get go—' André stopped talking mid-sentence—much to my pleasure—when he took in my full appearance.<p>

His mouth fell open into a perfectly round 'o'.

Behind him, Beck and Robbie's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. I smiled. 'Cat and Tori'll be here in a minute. Just a second.' Beck seemed to recover first and nodded. 'Woah, Jen,' he began, pushing past André, 'you look amazing. I'll go see if Tori and Cat are done.'

Robbie followed Beck inside, stumbling something incoherent about how good I looked—now that did miracles to my ego—leaving me and André standing at the door.

He was still staring at me, his mouth hanging open slightly. I loved it when I could catch him off-guard like this. Only when I was finished smirking over the fact that I had my boyfriend practically drooling at me did I fully look at what he was wearing. And I was not disappointed.

He was wearing a black shirt—which he knew I loved—dark jeans and green sneakers. Finally, he managed to snap out of his haze and smiled at me. I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that Beck and Robbie were both upstairs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, softly pressing my lips on his.  
>He groaned and played lightly with the soft fabric on the hem of my shirt. 'I want you so bad,' he whispered against my lips.<p>

I smirked. 'Good. Mission accomplished.'

He laughed softly.

'You know your brother could be down here any minute, right?' He whispered. Lust pooled deep in my abdomen, and I nodded. 'That's what makes it exciting,' I replied, crashing my lips on his again. Grazing his teeth on my lower lip, he smiled into the kiss when I moaned softly. Somehow, I managed to push him back, until the back of his knees hit the couch and he fell back, pulling me down on his lap.

I could feel my skin tingling violently as he kissed me, more and more passionately. I loved the taste of his lips. I loved the feel of his lips. And boy, did I love how he used them. I loved everything about him. His hand slid up from my waist to the hem of my shirt, when he stopped short, his other hand moving up to cup my cheek.

Softly, he pushed me back. I vaguely wondered if any of my lipstick was still on my lips.

I watched intently as his eyes darted to my lips and then back up to my eyes as he moved in, closing the gap between us and entrapping my bottom lip between his. He sucked and tugged seductively at it as his other hand slipped into my hair, angling my head up towards him. His tongue rolled along my lips before he pulled away, smirking at my flushed cheeks. _Damn it_. I studied his expression, completely forgetting my brother was upstairs.

A mischievous plan formed in my head. _He wants to tease? Fine. He'll get his teasing. _I leaned down to kiss him again, but this time, I was the one licking at the seam of his lips, begging for entrance. He didn't leave me hanging for long. His fingers locked in my hair again, changing the angle to the kiss as our tongues battled for dominance.

Slowly and very intentionally, I began rolling my hips against his, smiling when he let out a throaty growl. 'Damn it,' he cursed between the kisses, 'Jen. . . If you don't stop now. . .' He stopped, caught up in the kiss again. Damn, I was getting caught up in how good this felt, even though that was _not_ part of my plan.

'Mmm . . . Jen,' André moaned, 'Beck's going to catch us. . .' He groaned again. I could feel his hand massaging my thigh, running it back and forth across my jeans. I continued to kiss him hungrily as he ever so slowly, unbuttoned and unzipped my pants.

I could feel how hard he was, and how much he wanted me now, and I had him right where I wanted him. I broke the kiss, jumped up and zipped and buttoned my pants again, leaving André stunned on the couch. I smiled naughtily, knowing I was pissing him off really bad. _Serves him right. _

'You know,' I said, still enjoying the look of absolute disbelief on his face, 'You're right. I wouldn't want Beck to catch us, now would I?'

André opened his mouth to say something in reply when Tori, Cat, Beck and Robbie came down the stairs, Tori smiling at me. She glanced from me to André. 'So . . . Hope you two weren't bored while waiting.'

I winked at André. 'Nope. Not one bit.' André tried to laugh, but he sounded more like someone was trying to strangle him.

I just loved how I was able to do that to him in a matter of seconds.

Beck rolled his eyes and grabbed Tori's hand, pulling her towards the door. 'Come on, guys, if we want our date to be anything good, we have to leave now. You know, before midnight.' Muttering softly, we all hurried for the door. I was last, André inches behind me. I stiffened slightly when I felt his hands on the small of my back. 'You know I'm going to get back at you so bad, don't you?' he whispered in my ear, causing goose bumps to spring up all over me.

I smirked slightly and turned around to face him. 'I'd love to see you try,' I replied, and got in Beck's truck before he got the chance to reply. I did, however, notice how he desperately tried to adjust his jeans to hide his hard-on.

This was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night — Harris residence - ANDRÉ'S POV<strong>

I hadn't thought the night could've gotten any better after winning the bet and having Beck doing everything we could think of.

But as I opened the front door, I was so happy I had made sure my mom and Angie were out tonight. Even though I had promised Beck to drive Jen home, I hadn't told him which home. Apparently, she preferred my home now.

I turned around to look at her, to ask her if she was tired, when she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my lips to hers. I was only able to keep the slow, sweet kiss for one or two seconds before the infinite need for more took over.

As I let my tongue meet hers, I felt it again. The feeling I only felt when I was with her. The feeling that I might die if she'd stop kissing me. And I knew she wouldn't be much better off. Her breathing was heavy and ragged, and the way she pressed herself up against me was giving me all the clues I needed.

Slowly, I pushed her back against the front door, forcing her to wrap her legs around my waist. 'Oh God,' I breathed against her lips, 'Jen. . .' My skin seemed as if on fire. She smiled and pulled my lips to hers again. 'Don't stop,' she whispered, moaning loudly when I pressed into her, grazing my hardness against her core.

She groaned against my lips when I began to grind against her, rolling my hips into hers. I wanted her so bad. I continued to kiss her passionately—I couldn't have stopped even if I'd wanted to—while letting one hand wander over her body.

Slowly, she slipped a hand under my shirt, while I slipped my hand under hers, working to pull it over her head.

Before either of us managed to slow down, clothes were being tossed.

When Jen slowly pushed me back, she was already down to her bra and panties—and she looked so damn sexy in them — and my shirt was somewhere on the floor, my jeans already half unbuttoned. 'I want you,' I managed to whisper against the skin of her neck, 'I want you so bad.'

She breathed in deeply, forced me to look up into her eyes and whispered, 'Then have me. I'm all yours.'

My breath caught in my throat. I knew she was going to say something like that, and I knew she considered herself mine, but still. . . It caught me off-guard every time she said it. She moaned softly when I crashed my lips on hers again, this time stumbling back towards the stairs, her legs still wrapped firmly around my waist. My heart was beating extremely fast, and Jen's kissing was driving me mad with desire.

I managed to stumble up the stairs without tripping and kicked the door to my bedroom open, slowly lowering Jen onto the bed.

'Jen,' I groaned, desperately pressing into her, grazing my hardness onto her wetness. I had seriously never wanted anyone this bad before. I'd never wanted her this bad before. I felt like I'd die if I couldn't have her. I raised my hand to cup her breast through her lace bra, brushing my thumb against her nipple, causing it to harden instantly, eliciting a loud moan from Jen. She wrapped her legs around my waist once again, rolling her hips against mine, setting me on fire in so many ways.

Our lips met once again in a feral kiss, and somehow, Jen surprised both of us by taking the lead and rolling on top, pushing me into the mattress while letting her hand wander over my chest, stopping short at the waistband of my boxers. My heart was pounding and my skin was burning, and I had a very hard time thinking rationally. I noted her hesitation and rolled on top of her again, unhooking her bra and tossing it aside in one swift move.

She blushed deeply as I stopped and looked down on her. 'God, you're so beautiful,' I whispered, praising my good fortune for letting me have her. Before she had time to utter a response, I leaned down, pressing kisses down her neck, softly biting down. Jen gasped, but I didn't give her any more time to react as I placed tiny kisses on her right breast. I circled her nipple with my tongue for a short moment before latching my lips onto it and sucking hard, as she loved.

She cried out and twisted her fingers in my dreads, whispering incoherent sentences. While licking her breast, I let my fingers wander, running them up and down her thigh before sliding them between her legs, tracing the outskirts of her lace panties.

'André,' she groaned, 'André, please. . .' I grinned slightly against the soft, tender skin of her breast before slipping my hand in her underwear, pushing one finger inside of her. I still had to pay her back the favor she had done me earlier when she had turned me on so bad it nearly hurt and then stopped; I was going to get her back really good. She arched her back, desperately grinding against my fingers, crying out when I stroked my thumb over her sensitive nub, still pushing a finger in and out of her. I slipped another finger inside of her and worked her right up to the brink. I leaned up and kissed her again, still pumping my fingers in and out of her.

I knew perfectly how to work her, and I knew exactly what she liked. It didn't take me all too long until I felt her walls begin to tighten around my fingers. I smiled mischievously and pulled away, leaving her pouting. 'André,' She groaned, pulling me down on top of her again, kissing me so passionately I nearly forgot why I'd stopped.

'Uh uh,' I managed to whisper, ignoring the liquid fire that poured through my veins, 'You teased me earlier. I told you I'd get back at you.'  
>'Oh no,' she moaned, pulling me down on top of her, rolling her hips against mine, making my resolve crumble, 'please, please, please.'<br>She kissed me again, nipping at my bottom lip. _Damn, she was making this hard for me. And that wasn't the only thing that was getting hard._

'I'm so sorry for teasing you before,' she whispered, running her hands over my chest, 'I'll make it up to you all night long,' she grinned softly when I moaned, 'if you just let me.' She pulled my boxers down before I could protest, but she had me convinced. Leaning up to kiss her again, I felt my head get increasingly blank when I ripped off her underwear and impaled her in one, hard thrust.

I couldn't help but groan loudly as I felt her warmth surround me, her walls already tightening around me. After a short moment, she started rolling her hips against mine, and I couldn't help myself—I needed to be closer to her. I started thrusting into her, the desire to pleasure her almost painful. She moaned loudly, and I watched her eyes roll back into their sockets in pleasure.

I leaned down to kiss her again, thrusting harder and more desperately now—I was so close already. 'Jen,' I breathed, 'Jen, I'm close. . . Fuck, I'm so close.'  
>She opened her mouth, but no words came out. All she was able to do was cry out in ecstasy. I knew exactly where her sweet spot was, and wasted no time in hitting it with every single thrust.<p>

She cried out my name as I thrusted hard a few more times before emptying myself deep inside of her. I didn't even feel pain as she dug her nails into my skin. My mind was blissfully blank—my body numb with pleasure. I actually saw stars dance before my eyes as I came down from my high.  
>I collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. Her chest was heaving too, her skin was moist from sweating. I smiled against the skin of her neck, softly placing kisses on her collarbone.<p>

'Woah,' she breathed when I raised myself on my elbows, looking down on her. 'That was definitely our best one yet.' I smiled, but couldn't disagree. I leaned down again, softly pressing my lips on hers, enjoying the sweet taste of her watermelon lip-gloss. When I leaned back, she bit her lip and gazed at me through her lashes.

'I love you,' she whispered, her eyes large and irresistible. I felt my heart speed up again, and the familiar tingles her touch caused. 'I love you too,' I replied, leaning down again.

I groaned softly as she leaned up and pressed her lips on mine shortly in a short, soft kiss. The kiss quickly spiraled out of control though, and before long, I found myself hard again. Jen, of course, noticed immediately, wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me down on top of her again. 'Mmm. . .Jen. . . I don't know if . . . Mmmm. .' I moaned. I didn't want to hurt her. 'Don't stop,' she whispered, 'please André, don't stop.' I kissed her again, feeling my determination unraveling. 'I won't,' I finally whispered in reply, 'I promise I won't.'

I'm a man of my word. I promised her not to stop.

So I didn't.

* * *

><p><strong>R&amp;R, people!<strong>

**Follow me on Twitter: Annaelle_P**


End file.
